The pool of St Branok

He led me back to the shop. It was true I had admired the dress. I had rarely seen one so elegant and beautiful.

"There is something about it," he said. "Is there not?"

"It's certainly very fine, but I daresay it will cost a great deal."

"We'll go and see."

Reluctanctly I was led into the shop. A tall thin woman in black came out to us. She reminded me of something between a spider and Madame Bougerie.

The dress? Oh, yes. It was indeed a special dress. She gesticulated wildly. And for Madame. Yes, yes. It was Madame's size. One could say that it had been made for Madame.

I was scurried into a cubicle and there I was divested of my dress and stood before the mirror in the glorious creation. I had to admit it was beautiful and it suited me.

It fitted comme les gants. It was Madame's dress. No one else must have it. It must be Madame's.

The price appalled me, but Gervaise took it lightheartedly. I know that it swallowed up all his winnings.

This was what he wanted.

The dress was packed up and Gervaise carried it proudly from the shop.

I said: "It is a great extravagance and you shouldn't have spent all that money."

"But it had to be Madame's. It was made for Madame. It fits like a glove. There was no question about it. And you look quite superb in it. I am sure had you been present, Aphrodite would never have got her golden apple."

"I still think of it as an extravagance."

"Nonsense. I wanted to buy it. What is the good of having a wife if I can't spend my winnings on her?"

So we walked home and that night I wore the dress. I loved it. It was beautiful—and very precious because Gervaise had given it to me.

Later I wished we had never seen the casino. But of course Gervaise knew it was there. He had been there before. It may well have been why he had chosen this place for our honeymoon.

I enjoyed the days when we walked or rode in the mountains; but I did sense in him a yearning to be in the town; when we visited it he would lead me to the casino and he would go in leaving me sitting there waiting for him. I could have gone with him, I suppose. I could have had my own little flutter; but I had no wish to. I always had the feeling that I should lose—and that would be two of us.

There were one or two occasions when he won but never as much as when he had bought the dress.

I remembered the family warning and what his mother had said. I was to be the steadying influence.

It was like a blight on our honeymoon. If only it could have gone on as it had begun. I had been so superbly happy in the beginning after my confession ... happy as I had never thought to be again after that encounter at the pool. And Gervaise had made it possible. I would never forget that.

And then the visit to the casino! Every time I looked at the dress, I remembered—that feverish excitement, that desire to gamble. I, who did not have the slightest inclination to do so, found it difficult to understand the urge which seemed to come over Gervaise. He was like a different person when it was with him. Usually he was so relaxed, so carefree. This was an obsession.

We had spent two weeks at the auberge and were going home in three days' time. We were some little distance from the railway station and there was an old carriage drawn by two rather aged horses which made short journeys when it was necessary and would take guests' luggage to and from the station.

Two days before we were to leave, the carriage had to go to the station and Madame Bougerie said it would be convenient if our bags could be taken to the station then to save a journey.

I was rather sad, packing.

"Put everything you can in," said Gervaise, "so that there is nothing we have to carry. Then we can walk down to the station when the time comes."

I wondered afterwards what would have happened if the luggage had not been sent on in advance. He would not then have been able to do what he did.

That evening Gervaise went down to the town alone. I was rather tired. We had walked several miles during the afternoon and the casino did not attract me. I did not wish to partake in the gambling; nor did I wish to wait while Gervaise did. I found the place rather depressing in spite of the bright lights and the splendidly clad women. I detected in the faces of so many that frenzied look which I had seen in Gervaise.

He was very late back that night. I was relieved to see him. I had visions of his coming out from the casino with his winnings and being waylaid and set upon and robbed.

When I told him this he laughed.

"No one would have wanted to set upon me after the luck I have had tonight."

"It seems to me that you hardly ever have any luck."

"What? Think of that beautiful dress."

"That was the only time—and you spent all that."

"One day you will be surprised."

I thought that he was a little less ready to laugh than usual. I did not know how bad it was until later.

The next morning we went down to the town. I was afraid he was going once more to the casino, but he did not.