English
"Whatisthematterwithyou?"demandedherhusband,alreadyhalfundressed.
Sheturneddistractedlytowardhim.
"Ihave--Ihave--I'velostMadameForestier'snecklace,"shecried.
Hestoodup,bewildered.
"What!--how?Impossible!"
Theylookedamongthefoldsofherskirt,ofhercloak,inherpockets,everywhere,butdidnotfindit.
"You'resureyouhaditonwhenyoulefttheball?"heasked.
"Yes,Ifeltitinthevestibuleoftheminister'shouse."
"Butifyouhadlostitinthestreetweshouldhavehearditfall.Itmustbeinthecab."
"Yes,probably.Didyoutakehisnumber?"
"No.Andyou--didn'tyounoticeit?"
"No."
Theylooked,thunderstruck,ateachother.AtlastLoiselputonhisclothes.
"Ishallgobackonfoot,"saidhe,"overthewholeroute,toseewhetherIcanfindit."
Hewentout.Shesatwaitingonachairinherballdress,withoutstrengthtogotobed,overwhelmed,withoutanyfire,withoutathought.
Herhusbandreturnedaboutseveno'clock.Hehadfoundnothing.
Hewenttopoliceheadquarters,tothenewspaperofficestoofferareward;hewenttothecabcompanies--everywhere,infact,whitherhewasurgedbytheleastsparkofhope.
Shewaitedallday,inthesameconditionofmadfearbeforethisterriblecalamity.
Loiselreturnedatnightwithahollow,paleface.Hehaddiscoverednothing.
"Youmustwritetoyourfriend,"saidhe,"thatyouhavebrokentheclaspofhernecklaceandthatyouarehavingitmended.Thatwillgiveustimetoturnround."
Shewroteathisdictation.
Attheendofaweektheyhadlostallhope.Loisel,whohadagedfiveyears,declared:
"Wemustconsiderhowtoreplacethatornament."
Thenextdaytheytooktheboxthathadcontaineditandwenttothejewelerwhosenamewasfoundwithin.Heconsultedhisbooks.
"ItwasnotI,madame,whosoldthatnecklace;Imustsimplyhavefurnishedthecase."
Thentheywentfromjewelertojeweler,searchingforanecklaceliketheother,tryingtorecallit,bothsickwithchagrinandgrief.
Theyfound,inashopatthePalaisRoyal,astringofdiamondsthatseemedtothemexactlyliketheonetheyhadlost.Itwasworthfortythousandfrancs.Theycouldhaveitforthirty-six.
Sotheybeggedthejewelernottosellitforthreedaysyet.Andtheymadeabargainthatheshouldbuyitbackforthirty-fourthousandfrancs,incasetheyshouldfindthelostnecklacebeforetheendofFebruary.
Loiselpossessedeighteenthousandfrancswhichhisfatherhadlefthim.Hewouldborrowtherest.
Hedidborrow,askingathousandfrancsofone,fivehundredofanother,fivelouishere,threelouisthere.Hegavenotes,tookupruinousobligations,dealtwithusurersandalltheraceoflenders.
Hecompromisedalltherestofhislife,riskedsigninganotewithoutevenknowingwhetherhecouldmeetit;and,frightenedbythetroubleyettocome,bytheblackmiserythatwasabouttofalluponhim,bytheprospectofallthephysicalprivationsandmoraltorturesthathewastosuffer,hewenttogetthenewnecklace,layinguponthejeweler'scounterthirty-sixthousandfrancs.
WhenMadameLoiseltookbackthenecklaceMadameForestiersaidtoherwithachillymanner:
"Youshouldhavereturneditsooner;Imighthaveneededit."
Shedidnotopenthecase,asherfriendhadsomuchfeared.Ifshehaddetectedthesubstitution,whatwouldshehavethought,whatwouldshehavesaid?WouldshenothavetakenMadameLoiselforathief?
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