Chapter 17 seventeen little mary

Finally, on Sunday morning, coming out of Mass, his mother-in-law asked him if he had gotten any results from his lover since that conversation in the orchard. I didn't get anything.He replied, I have not talked to her. How can you convince her if you don't talk to her? I spoke to her only once, replied Germain, when we went together to Fourches; I have not spoken to her since.Her rejection pained me so much that I would rather not hear her tell me again that she didn't love me. Well, my boy, it is time to speak to her; your father-in-law has promised you to do so.Come on, make up your mind!I told you, if necessary, I will order you to do it, because you cannot always hesitate like this.

Germain obeyed.He came to Aunt Guiyette's house dejectedly.Little Marie sat alone by the fire, meditating, and did not hear Germain enter.When she saw him standing before her, she jumped up from her chair in amazement, and blushed. Little Mary, he said as he sat beside her, I know that I have come to give you trouble and distress; but the man and woman of our family (the two heads, as is the custom) want me to say to you , asking you to marry me.You won't want to, I expected it. Germain, answered little Marie, are you sure you love me? It upsets you, I know, but it's not my fault: I'd be more than happy if you could change your mind, which, needless to say, I don't deserve.Oh, look at me, Mary, am I terrible?

No, Germain, she replied smiling, you are better looking than I am. Don't laugh at me; look at me with mercy; I haven't got a tooth or a hair missing.My eyes are saying to you, I love you.Look into my eyes, it says, every girl can read it. Marie looked into Germain's eyes with cheerful confidence; suddenly, she turned her head away, trembling all over. ah!my God!I frighten you, said Germain, and you look at me as if I were a farmer from Olmo.Don't be afraid of me, please, that breaks my heart so much.I won't talk to you indecently; I won't force you to kiss me, and if you want to tell me to go, just point to the door.Ah, don't you tremble if I must go out?

Mary held out her hand to the farmer, but she did not turn her head from the fire, and said nothing. I understand, said Germain, you pity me because you have a good heart; you make my unhappy heart sad, can't you love me? Why are you telling me this, Germain?Little Mary finally replied, are you going to make me cry? Poor girl, you have good intentions, I know; but you don't love me, your face always hides from me, you are afraid that I will see your displeasure and disgust.And me, I dare not even shake your hand!I almost kissed you softly in the woods while my son and you were asleep.But I ask you to give me a kiss, and I am ashamed to death. The pain I suffered that night is like a person being moxibusted by a low fire.Since then, I have dreamed of you every night.ah!I kiss you passionately, Mary!And you, sleep peacefully at this time, don't dream.Do you know what I'm thinking right now?What I think is, if you turn around and look at me the way I see you, if your face is close to mine, I believe I will really die of happiness.And you, you're thinking, if you did, you'd be pissed off and ashamed!

Germain seemed to be talking in a dream, but he didn't hear what he said.Little Mary was trembling all the time; and he was trembling more, so he didn't think she was trembling.She turned round abruptly, with tears all over her face, and looked at him reproachfully.The poor farmer thought the final blow had come, and without waiting for her sentence, he rose to go; but the girl took him in her arms, stopped him, buried her head in his bosom, and said to him sobbing: ah!Germain, don't you realize that I love you? Germain would have gone mad if his son hadn't come to him at this moment to bring him to his senses; the boy was riding a stick, with his sister behind, driving the imaginary horse with a wicker , quickly ran into the hut.He picked up his son, put him in the arms of his fiancée, and said to her:

See, you love me, happy man, and I am not the only one!