Petty Troubles of Married Life by Honoré de Balzac
page 43 of 118 (36%)
page 43 of 118 (36%)
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"Thank you: so I am bringing Charles up badly!" "I did not say that: but you will always have excellent reasons for keeping him at home." Here the _vous_ becomes reciprocal and the discussion takes a bitter turn on both sides. Your wife is very willing to wound you by saying _vous_, but she feels cross when it becomes mutual. "The long and the short of it is that you want to get my child away, you find that he is between us, you are jealous of your son, you want to tyrannize over me at your ease, and you sacrifice your boy! Oh, I am smart enough to see through you!" "You make me out like Abraham with his knife! One would think there were no such things as schools! So the schools are empty; nobody sends their children to school!" "You are trying to make me appear ridiculous," she retorts. "I know that there are schools well enough, but people don't send boys of six there, and Charles shall not start now." "Don't get angry, my dear." "As if I ever get angry! I am a woman and know how to suffer in silence." "Come, let us reason together." |
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