My Landlady (Maupassant)
George Kervelen was a young law student living in a boarding house in Paris, run by a strict landlady named Mme. Kergaran. She was a stout woman who took care of her boarders like a mother, but also imposed strict rules on them. George, however, managed to negotiate a latchkey for himself, allowing him to come and go as he pleased.
Mme. Kergaran was a woman of about forty. She was very stout, had a voice like a drill-sergeant, and decided everything in a very abrupt and decisive manner.
Mme. Kergaran was a woman of about forty. She was very stout, had a voice like a drill-sergeant, and decided everything in a very abrupt and decisive manner.
One day, George met a girl named Emma and they began a romantic relationship. He decided to bring her to his room one night for a cup of tea, but things quickly escalated and they began undressing each other.
I said to Emma two or three times: 'Above all things, don't make any noise on the stairs,' to which she replied, laughing: 'Are you afraid of being heard?'
I said to Emma two or three times: 'Above all things, don't make any noise on the stairs,' to which she replied, laughing: 'Are you afraid of being heard?'
Suddenly, Mme. Kergaran burst into the room, catching them in the act. She demanded that Emma leave immediately, and George reluctantly complied.
After Emma left, Mme. Kergaran scolded George for bringing a prostitute into her house and tarnishing its reputation. As she lectured him, George found himself becoming attracted to her, noticing her ample bosom and the warmth of her bed. In a moment of passion, he embraced her and they ended up making love.
An hour later, Mme. Kergaran got up to light a candle and returned to bed, calling George a brute in a satisfied and grateful tone.