"Everything was changing," she would cry; "she did not know her own

servants; the fact was she spoiled them!" On one occasion Josette gave



her the "Journee du Chretien" instead of the "Quinzaine de Paques."

The whole town heard of this disaster the same evening. Mademoiselle



had been forced to leave the church and return home; and her sudden

departure, upsetting the chairs, made people suppose a catastrophe had



happened. She was therefore obliged to explain the facts to her

friends.



"Josette," she said gently, "such a thing must never happen again."

Mademoiselle Cormon was, without being aware of it, made happier by



such little quarrels, which served as cathartics to relieve her

bitterness. The soul has its needs, and, like the body, its



gymnastics. These uncertainties of temper were accepted by Josette and

Jacquelin as changes in the weather are accepted by husbandmen. Those



worthy souls remark, "It is fine to-day," or "It rains," without

arraigning the heavens. And so when they met in the morning the



servants would wonder in what humor mademoiselle would get up, just as

a farmer wonders about the mists at dawn.



Mademoiselle Cormon had ended, as it was natural she should end, in

contemplating herself only in the infinite pettinesses of her life.



Herself and God, her confessor and the weekly wash, her preserves and

the church services, and her uncle to care for, absorbed her feeble



intellect. To her the atoms of life were magnified by an optic

peculiar to persons who are selfish by nature or self-absorbed by some



accident. Her perfect health gave alarming meaning to the least little

derangement of her digestive organs. She lived under the iron rod of



the medical science of our forefathers, and took yearly four

precautionary doses, strong enough to have killed Penelope, though



they seemed to rejuvenate her mistress. If Josette, when dressing her,

chanced to discover a little pimple on the still satiny shoulders of



mademoiselle, it became the subject of endless inquiries as to the

various alimentary articles of the preceding week. And what a triumph



when Josette reminded her mistress of a certain hare that was rather

"high," and had doubtless raised that accursed pimple! With what joy



they said to each other: "No doubt, no doubt, it WAS the hare!"

"Mariette over-seasoned it," said mademoiselle. "I am always telling



her to do so lightly for my uncle and for me; but Mariette has no more

memory than--"



"The hare," said Josette.

"Just so," replied Mademoiselle; "she has no more memory than a hare,



--a very just remark."

Four times a year, at the beginning of each season, Mademoiselle



Cormon went to pass a certain number of days on her estate of

Prebaudet. It was now the middle of May, the period at which she



wished to see how her apple-trees had "snowed," a saying of that

region which expressed the effect produced beneath the trees by the



falling of their blossoms. When the circulardeposit of these fallen

petals resembled a layer of snow the owner of the trees might hope for



an abundant supply of cider. While she thus gauged her vats,

Mademoiselle Cormon also attended to the repairs which the winter



necessitated; she ordered the digging of her flower-beds and her

vegetable garden, from which she supplied her table. Every season had



its own business. Mademoiselle always gave a dinner of farewell to her

intimate friends the day before her departure, although she was



certain to see them again within three weeks. It was always a piece of

news which echoed through Alencon when Mademoiselle Cormon departed.



All her visitors, especially those who had missed a visit, came to bid

her good-bye; the salon was thronged, and every one said farewell as



though she were starting for Calcutta. The next day the shopkeepers

would stand at their doors to see the old carriole pass, and they



seemed to be telling one another some news by repeating from shop to

shop:--



"So Mademoiselle Cormon is going to Prebaudet!"

Some said: "HER bread is baked."



"Hey! my lad," replied the next man. "She's a worthy woman; if money

• observation [,ɔbzə´veiʃən] n.观测；注意；意义 (初中英语单词)


• devotion [di´vəuʃən] n.献身；忠诚；热爱 (初中英语单词)


• stupid [´stju:pid] a.愚蠢的；糊涂的 (初中英语单词)


• intelligent [in´telidʒənt] a.聪明的；理智的 (初中英语单词)


• catholic [´kæθəlik] a.天主教 n.天主教徒 (初中英语单词)


• virtue [´və:tʃu:] n.美德；贞操；长处 (初中英语单词)


• belief [bi´li:f] n.相信；信仰，信条 (初中英语单词)


• divine [di´vain] a.神圣的 v.预言 (初中英语单词)


• mysterious [mi´stiəriəs] a.神秘的；难以理解的 (初中英语单词)


• relief [ri´li:f] n.救济；援救；减轻 (初中英语单词)


• genius [´dʒi:niəs] n.天才(人物)；天赋 (初中英语单词)


• abundant [ə´bʌndənt] a.丰富的；充分的 (初中英语单词)


• guilty [´gilti] a.有罪的；心虚的 (初中英语单词)


• ignorance [´ignərəns] n.无知，愚昧 (初中英语单词)


• observer [əb´zə:və] n.遵守者；观察员 (初中英语单词)


• absolutely [´æbsəlu:tli] ad.绝对地；确实 (初中英语单词)


• sentiment [´sentimənt] n.情绪；多愁善感 (初中英语单词)


• surprising [sə´praiziŋ] a.惊人的；意外的 (初中英语单词)


• distinct [di´stiŋkt] a.清楚的；独特的 (初中英语单词)


• humanity [hju:´mæniti] n.人类；人性；仁慈 (初中英语单词)


• conceive [kən´si:v] v.设想；表达；怀孕 (初中英语单词)


• commit [kə´mit] vt.犯(罪)；把…判处 (初中英语单词)


• unable [ʌn´eibəl] a.不能的；无能为力的 (初中英语单词)


• physical [´fizikəl] a.物质的；有形的 (初中英语单词)


• mental [´mentl] a.精神的；心理的 (初中英语单词)


• sympathy [´simpəθi] n.同情，怜悯 (初中英语单词)


• account [ə´kaunt] vi.说明 vt.认为 n.帐目 (初中英语单词)


• excite [ik´sait] vt.激动；引起，招惹 (初中英语单词)


• laughter [´lɑ:ftə] n.笑，笑声 (初中英语单词)


• accord [ə´kɔ:d] n.&vi.符合 vt.给与 (初中英语单词)


• income [´inkʌm] n.收入，所得 (初中英语单词)


• considerable [kən´sidərəbəl] a.重要的；值得重视 (初中英语单词)


• grateful [´greitful] a.感谢的；令人愉快的 (初中英语单词)


• luxury [´lʌkʃəri] n.奢侈(品)；享受 (初中英语单词)


• silently [´sailəntli] ad.寂静地；沉默地 (初中英语单词)


• waiting [´weitiŋ] n.等候；伺候 (初中英语单词)


• mistress [´mistris] n.女主人；情妇；女能手 (初中英语单词)


• supposed [sə´pəuzd] a.想象的；假定的 (初中英语单词)


• wholly [´həul-li] ad.完全，十足；统统 (初中英语单词)


• faithful [´feiθfəl] a.忠实的；可靠的 (初中英语单词)


• intelligence [in´telidʒəns] n.智力；消息 (初中英语单词)


• closet [´klɔzit] n.橱；私室；盥洗室 (初中英语单词)


• neglect [ni´glekt] vt.&n.疏忽；忽视；忽略 (初中英语单词)


• running [´rʌniŋ] a.奔跑的；流动的 (初中英语单词)


• imagination [i,mædʒi´neiʃən] n.想象(力) (初中英语单词)


• disaster [di´zɑ:stə] n.灾难，不幸 (初中英语单词)


• therefore [´ðeəfɔ:] ad.&conj.因此；所以 (初中英语单词)


• gently [´dʒentli] ad.温和地；静静地 (初中英语单词)


• relieve [ri´li:v] v.救济，援救；减轻 (初中英语单词)


• temper [´tempə] n.韧度 v.锻炼；调和 (初中英语单词)


• weekly [´wi:kli] a.&ad.每周一次(的) (初中英语单词)


• selfish [´selfiʃ] a.自私的，利己的 (初中英语单词)


• medical [´medikəl] a.医学的；医疗的 (初中英语单词)


• doubtless [´dautlis] ad.无疑地；大概，多半 (初中英语单词)


• lightly [´laitli] ad.轻微地，稍微 (初中英语单词)


• beginning [bi´giniŋ] n.开始，开端；起源 (初中英语单词)


• estate [i´steit] n.财产；庄园；等级 (初中英语单词)


• circular [´sə:kjulə] a.圆形的 n.通知 (初中英语单词)


• deposit [di´pɔzit] vt.存放，存储 n.存款 (初中英语单词)


• farewell [feə´wel] int.再见 n.&a.告别 (初中英语单词)


• departure [di´pɑ:tʃə] n.离开，出发 (初中英语单词)


• worthy [´wə:ði] a.有价值的；值得的 (初中英语单词)


• earthly [´ə:θli] a.地球的；世俗的 (高中英语单词)


• celestial [si´lestiəl] a.天空的，天的 (高中英语单词)


• phenomenon [fi´nɔminən] n.现象；奇迹；珍品 (高中英语单词)


• nobility [nəu´biliti, nə-] n.高贵；贵金属性 (高中英语单词)


• musician [mju:´ziʃən] n.音乐家，作曲家 (高中英语单词)


• ridiculous [ri´dikjuləs] a.荒谬的；可笑的 (高中英语单词)


• inheritance [in´heritəns] n.继承(物)；遗传；遗产 (高中英语单词)


• equality [i´kwɔliti] n.同等，平等 (高中英语单词)


• saying [´seiŋ, ´sei-iŋ] n.言语；言论；格言 (高中英语单词)


• symbol [´simbəl] n.符号；象征 (高中英语单词)


• solely [´səulli] ad.唯一；单独；完全 (高中英语单词)


• internal [in´tə:nl] a.内部的；国内的 (高中英语单词)


• inward [´inwəd] a.向内的；心灵上的 (高中英语单词)


• perpetual [pə´petʃuəl] a.永恒的；终身的 (高中英语单词)


• infinite [´infinit] a.无限的，无穷的 (高中英语单词)


• submission [səb´miʃən] n.屈服；谦恭 (英语四级单词)


• setting [´setiŋ] n.安装；排字；布景 (英语四级单词)


• sentimental [,senti´mentl] a.感伤的；多愁善感的 (英语四级单词)


• grandeur [´grændʒə] n.伟大；富丽；壮观 (英语四级单词)


• yearly [´jiəli] a.每年的；一年间的 (英语四级单词)


• imperative [im´perətiv] a.紧急的 n.命令式 (英语四级单词)


• charitable [´tʃæritəbəl] a.仁爱的；慈善的 (英语四级单词)


• incapable [in´keipəbəl] a.无能力的；不能的 (英语四级单词)


• unkind [,ʌn´kaind] a.不客气的；不和善的 (英语四级单词)


• triumphant [trai´ʌmfənt] a.胜利的；洋洋得意的 (英语四级单词)


• apricot [´eiprikɔt] n.杏(树)；杏黄色 (英语四级单词)


• mechanism [´mekənizəm] n.机械装置；机制 (英语四级单词)


• catastrophe [kə´tæstrəfi] n.大灾难；(悲剧)结局 (英语四级单词)


• preceding [pri(:)´si:diŋ] a.在先的；前面的 (英语四级单词)


• accursed [ə´kə:sid] a.被诅咒的；可憎的 (英语四级单词)


• calcutta [kæl´kʌtə] n.加尔各答 (英语四级单词)


• mademoiselle [,mædəmə´zel] n.小姐；法国女教师 (英语六级单词)


• socrates [´sɔkrəti:z] n.苏格拉底 (英语六级单词)


• applied [ə´plaid] a.实用的，应用的 (英语六级单词)


• avarice [´ævəris] n.贪婪，贪心 (英语六级单词)


• elegance [´eligəns] n.优雅；优美；精美 (英语六级单词)


• wanting [´wɔntiŋ, wɑ:n-] a.短缺的；不足的 (英语六级单词)


• digestive [di´dʒestiv] a.消化的，易消化的 (英语六级单词)