That Pig, Morin (Maupassant)

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That Pig, Morin
Summary of the Short Story
Microsummary: A man accidentally kissed a woman on a train, leading to legal trouble and a friend's intervention, which resulted in a romantic encounter and the eventual resolution of the case.

A man named Morin went to Paris for a fortnight to renew his stock for his drapery shop. On his way back to La Rochelle, he found himself alone in a train carriage with a beautiful young woman.

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Morin — draper; impulsive, foolish, and regretful.

Overcome by desire, Morin impulsively kissed her, causing her to scream for help. The train stopped, and Morin was arrested for his actions.

I assure you I did not even kiss her, no, not even that. I will take my oath on it!

Morin sought help from his friend Labarbe, who was the editor-in-chief of a local newspaper.

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Labarbe — narrator; handsome, charming, and persuasive.

Labarbe agreed to help Morin by trying to convince the young woman's uncle to drop the charges. Labarbe and his colleague Rivet visited the uncle's house, where they met the young woman, Henriette.

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Henriette Bonnel — young lady; beautiful, confident, and witty.
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Rivet — Labarbe's friend; practical, sensible, and somewhat impatient.

Labarbe found himself attracted to her and managed to share a passionate moment with her. Eventually, the uncle agreed to drop the charges, and Morin was released.

However, Morin's reputation was tarnished, and he became known as "that pig, Morin." He was constantly ridiculed and eventually died two years later. Years later, Labarbe encountered Henriette again, who was now married to a notary. Her husband expressed his gratitude to Labarbe for his help in the past, even mentioning the infamous "pig, Morin" affair.