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Ball of Fat 23
They bowed, and retired.
The afternoon was wretched. They could not understand the caprice of this
German, and the strangest ideas came into their heads. They all congregated in
the kitchen, and talked the subject to death, imagining all kinds of unlikely
things. Perhaps they were to be kept as hostages —but for what reason? or to be
extradited as prisoners of war? or possibly they were to be held for ransom?
They were panic-stricken at this last supposition. The richest among them were
the most alarmed, seeing themselves forced to empty bags of gold into the
insolent soldier's hands in order to buy back their lives. They racked their
brains for plausible lies whereby they might conceal the fact that they were
rich, and pass themselves off as poor—very poor. Loiseau took off his watch
chain, and put it in his pocket. The approach of night increased their
apprehension. The lamp was lighted, and as it wanted yet two hours to dinner
Madame Loiseau proposed a game of trente et un. It would distract their
thoughts. The rest agreed, and Cornudet himself joined the party, first putting
out his pipe for politeness' sake.
The count shuffled the cards—dealt—and Ball of Fat had thirty-one to start
with; soon the interest of the game assuaged the anxiety of the players. But
Cornudet noticed that Loiseau and his wife were in league to cheat.
They were about to sit down to dinner when Monsieur Follenvie appeared, and in
his grating voice announced:
"The Prussian officer sends to ask Mademoiselle Elisabeth Rousset if she has
changed her mind yet."
Ball of Fat stood still, pale as death. Then, suddenly turning crimson with
anger, she gasped out:
"Kindly tell that scoundrel, that cur, that carrion of a Prussian, that I will
never consent—you understand?—never, never, never!"
The fat innkeeper left the room. Then Ball of Fat was surrounded, questioned,
entreated on all sides to reveal the mystery of her visit to the officer. She
refused at first; but her wrath soon got the better of her.
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