Boule de Suif made no reply. He tried all sorts of means on her, including gentle persuasion and an appeal to both her reason and her finer feelings in turn. He maintained the dignity required of his social position, while simultaneously playing the flattering and gallant ladies’ man when necessary. He stressed what a huge favour she would be doing them all, and how enormously grateful they would all be. Then suddenly, addressing her as an intimate, he said: ‘And I’ll tell you something, my dear, he’ll be able to brag he’s had a prettier girl than any back where he comes from!’

Boule de Suif made no response and moved to join the rest of the party.

Immediately upon her return, she went up to her room and did not reappear. The suspense mounted. What was she going to do? How awful if she continued to hold out! The hour struck for dinner. They waited for her in vain. Then Monsieur Follenvie came in, announcing that Mademoiselle Rousset was indisposed and that they should begin without her. Everyone pricked up their ears. The Comte went over to the innkeeper and whispered: ‘Everything going all right then?’

‘Yes.’

Out of propriety he conveyed none of this verbally to his companions but gave them a very slight nod. At this a huge sigh of relief went up and every face brightened. Loiseau cried: ‘Well I’ll be … ! Champagne! On me! If there is any in this establishment.’

To his wife’s obvious dismay the landlord returned with four bottles. Suddenly everyone became very noisy and voluble and the party was full of ribald merriment. The Comte appeared to notice for the first time Madame Carré-Lamadon’s charms. The manufacturer in turn began paying flattering compliments to the Comtesse. The conversation became gay and lively, not to say racy.

Suddenly Loiseau with a concerned expression on his face raised his arms and cried: ‘Quiet!’

Surprised and even a little scared again, everyone stopped talking. Cocking his ear and holding up his hands for silence, he raised his eyes ceilingwards, listened again then continued in a normal voice: ‘Nothing to worry about. Everything’s fine.’

A quarter of an hour later he went through the same performance, repeating it several times throughout the evening. From time to time he would hold an imaginary conversation with someone on the floor above, dredging up every lewd innuendo and double entendre with which his dirty little mind was stocked. At times he would put on a pained expression and breathe, ‘Oh the poor girl!’ Or again, muttering angrily between clenched teeth, ‘Oh you swine of a Prussian, you!’ Often, when the conversation had moved on he would repeat in a voice quivering with emotion: ‘Stop it will you! That’s enough!’ adding, as if to himself, ‘Let’s hope she lives to tell us the tale! That he’s not the death of her, the bastard!’