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TheTemptationofaRespectableWomanMrs.Barodawasalittleannoyedtolearnthatherhusbandexpectedhisfriend,Gouvernail,uptospendaweekortwoontheplantation.Gouvernail'squietpersonalitypuzzledMrs.Baroda.Afterafewdayswithhim,shecouldunderstandhimnobetterthanatfirst.Sheleftherhusbandandhisguest,forthemostpart,alonetogether,onlytofindthatGouvernailhardlynoticedherabsence.Thensheimposedhercompanyuponhim,accompanyinghiminhisidlewalkstothemilltopressherattempttopenetratethesilenceinwhichhehadunconsciouslycoveredhimself.Butithardlyworked.Whenishegoing—yourfriend?sheonedayaskedherhusband.Formypart,Ifindhimaterriblenuisance.Notforaweekyet,dear.Ican'tunderstand;hegivesyounotrouble.No.Ishouldlikehimbetterifhedid—ifheweremorelikeothers,andIhadtoplansomewhatforhiscomfortandenjoyment.Gastonpulledthesleeveofhiswife'sdress,gatheredhisarmsaroundherwaistandlookedmerrilyintohertroubledeyes.Youarefullofsurprises,hesaidtoher.EvenIcannevercountuponhowyouaregoingtoactundergivenconditions.Hereyouare,hewenton,takingpoorGouvernailseriouslyandmakingafussabouthim,thelastthinghewoulddesireorexpect.Fuss!shehotlyreplied.Nonsense!Howcanyousaysuchathing!Fuss,indeed!But,youknow,yousaidhewasclever.Soheis.Butthepoorfellowisrundownbytoomuchworknow.That'swhyIaskedhimheretotakearest.Youusedtosayhewasamanofwit,shesaid,stillannoyed.Iexpectedhimtobeinteresting,atleast.I'mgoingtothecityinthemorningtohavemyspringdressesfitted.LetmeknowwhenMr.Gouvernailisgone;untilthattimeIshallbeatmyaunt'shouse.Thatnightshewentandsataloneuponabenchthatstoodbeneathanoaktreeattheedgeofthewalk.Shehadneverknownherthoughtstobesoconfused;likethebatsnowaboveher,herthoughtsquicklyflewthiswayandthat.Shecouldgathernothingfromthembutthefeelingofadistinctnecessitytoleaveherhomeinthenextmorning.Mrs.Barodaheardfootstepscomingfromthedirectionofthebarn;sheknewitwasGouvernail.Shehopedtoremainunnoticed,butherwhitegownrevealedhertohim.Heseatedhimselfuponthebenchbesideher,withoutasuspicionthatshemightobjecttohispresence.Yourhusbandtoldmetobringthistoyou,Mrs.Baroda,hesaid,handingheralengthofsheerwhitefabricwithwhichshesometimescoveredherheadandshoulders.Sheaccepteditfromhimandletitlieinherlap.Hemadesomeroutineobservationsupontheunhealthyeffectofthenightbreezeatthatseason.Thenashisgazereachedoutintothedarkness,hebegantotalk.Gouvernailwasinnosenseashyman.Hisperiodsofsilencewerenothisbasicnature,buttheresultofmoods.WhenhewassittingtherebesideMrs.Baroda,hissilencemeltedforthetime.Hetalkedfreelyandintimatelyinalow,hesitatingvoicethatwasnotunpleasanttohear.HetalkedoftheoldcollegedayswhenheandGastonhadbeenbestfriends,ofthedaysofkeenambitionsandlargeintentions.Now,alltherewasleftwithhimwasadesiretobepermittedtoexist,withnowandthenalittlebreathofgenuinelife,suchashewasbreathingnow.Hermindonlyvaguelygraspedwhathewassaying.Hiswordsbecameameaninglesssuccessionofverbs,nouns,adverbs,andadjectives;sheonlydrankinthetonesofhisvoice.Shewantedtoreachoutherhandinthedarknessandtouchhim—whichshemighthavedoneifshehadnotbeenarespectablewoman.Thestrongerthedesiregrewtobringherselfnearhim,thefurther,infact,didshemoveawayfromhim.Assoonasshecoulddosowithoutanappearanceofbeingrude,shepretendedtoyawn,rose,andlefthimtherealone.Mrs.Barodawasgreatlytemptedthatnighttotellherhusband—whowasalsoherfriend—ofthisfoolishnessthathadseizedher.Butshedidnotyieldtothetemptation.Besidesbeinganuprightandrespectablewomanshewasalsoaverysensibleone.WhenGastonarosethenextmorning,hiswifehadalreadydeparted,withoutevensayingfarewell.Aporterhadcarriedhertrunktothestationandshehadtakenanearlymorningtraintothecity.ShedidnotreturnuntilGouvernailwasgonefromunderherroof.Therewassometalkofhavinghimbackduringthesummerthatfollowed.Thatis,Gastongreatlydesiredit;butthisdesireyieldedtohishonorablewife'svigorousopposition.However,beforetheyearended,sheproposed,whollyfromherself,tohaveGouvernailvisitthemagain.Herhusbandwassurprisedanddelightedwiththesuggestioncomingfromher.Iamglad,mydear,toknowthatyouhavefinallyovercomeyourdislikeforhim;trulyhedidnotdeserveit.Oh,shetoldhim,laughingly,afterpressingalong,tenderkissuponhislips,Ihaveovercomeeverything!Youwillsee.ThistimeIshallbeverynicetohim.一个正派女人受到的诱惑得知丈夫请了他的朋友古韦内尔来种植园小住一两周，巴罗达太太有点不快。古韦内尔生性沉默，这令巴罗达太太颇为不解。在一起待了几天，她仍感到对他很陌生。她只得大部分时间让丈夫陪着客人,但发现自己不在场几乎并未引起古韦内尔的注意。而后她执意要陪他散步到磨坊去,试图打破他这种并非有意的沉默，但仍不奏效。你的朋友，他什么时候走？有一天她问丈夫，我觉得他太讨厌了。还不到一周呢，亲爱的。我真不明白，他并没给你添麻烦呀。是没有。他要是真能添点麻烦，我倒喜欢他一些了。真希望他能像别人一样，那样我倒可以做点什么使他过得舒心。加斯顿拉了拉妻子的衣袖，双手搂着她的腰，快乐地望着她那充满困惑的眼睛。你可真让人吃惊，他说，我都说不准你什么时候会怎么做。瞧你对古韦内尔顶真的样子，对他那么大惊小怪，这可是他最不希望的。大惊小怪！她急急回道，瞎说，你怎么这么说！大惊小怪，真是！但你可说过他挺聪明的。他是聪明。但工作太多，这可怜的家伙累垮了，所以我才请他来这儿休息一阵。你常说他是个风趣的人，太太仍在生气，我以为他至少该风趣点。明早我进城去试春装。古韦内尔走了你告诉我。他走之前我就住姑妈家。那晚她独自一人坐在路边橡树下的长凳上，思绪从未这么乱过，就像头顶飞着的蝙蝠一样，忽东忽西。她理不出丝毫头绪，只感到有一点很明确：她必须第二天一早就离开这里。巴罗达太太听到从谷仓那边传来了脚步声，她知道那是古韦内尔。她不想让他看见自己，但她的白色长袍泄露了踪迹。他在她身旁的长凳上坐下，丝毫不曾想到她可能会反对他坐在那儿。您丈夫要我把这个带给您，巴罗达太太，说着，他递上一块白色纱巾，这是她有时用来做披肩的。她接了过来，放在腿上。他照例说了些诸如这个季节的夜风对身体不好之类的话。后来，望着茫茫夜色，他开始谈了起来。古韦内尔可不是个腼腆的人。他的沉默寡言决非天性，而是情绪使然。坐在巴罗达太太身边，他的沉默暂时消失了。他以低沉迟缓的嗓音亲切而无拘束地娓娓而谈，谈他在大学里与加斯顿是好朋友，谈那时曾雄心勃勃，志向高远。而现在他只求能生存，只是偶尔才体验到一丝真正的生活的气息，就像此刻。巴罗达太太只是模模糊