courageous act, as few men would accomplish, and she felt the most
exalted and uneasy love for him.

"When she became pregnant, and it was known, the most particular people
and the greatest sticklers opened their doors to her, as if she had been
definitely purified by maternity.

"It is funny, but so it is, and thus everything was going on as well as
possible, when, the other day, was the feast of the patron saint of our
town. The Prefect, surrounded by his staff and the authorities, presided
at the musical competition, and when he had finished his speech, the
distribution of medals began, which Paul Hamot, his private secretary,
handed to those who were entitled to them.

"As you know, there are always jealousies and rivalries, which make
people forget all propriety. All the ladies of the town were there on
the platform, and, in his proper turn, the bandmaster from the village
of Mourmillon came up. This band was only to receive a second-class
medal, for one cannot give first-class medals to everybody, can one? But
when the private secretary handed him his badge, the man threw it in his
face and exclaimed:

"'You may keep your medal for Baptiste. You owe him a first-class one,
also, just as you do me.'

"There were a number of people there who began to laugh. The common herd
are neither charitable nor refined, and every eye was turned towards
that poor lady. Have you ever seen a woman going mad, Monsieur? Well, we
were present at the sight! She got up and fell back on her chair three
times following, as if she had wished to make her escape, but saw that
she could not make her way through the crowd, and then another voice in
the crowd exclaimed:

"'Oh I Oh! Madame Baptiste!'

"And a great uproar, partly laughter, and partly indignation, arose. The
word was repeated over and over again; people stood on tip-toe to see
the unhappy woman's face; husbands lifted their wives up in their arms,
so that they might see the unhappy woman's face, and people asked:

"'Which is she? The one in blue?'

"The boys crowed like cocks, and laughter was heard all over the place.

"She did not move now on her state chair, just as if she had been put
there for the crowd to look at. She could not move, nor disappear, nor
hide her face. Her eyelids blinked quickly, as if a vivid light were
shining in her face, and she panted like a horse that is going up a
steep hill, so that it almost broke one's heart to see it. Meanwhile,
howeve