In
consequence of a cold, she caught a sore throat; and some time later
she had an earache. Three years later she was stone deaf, and spoke in
a very loud voice even in church. Although her sins might have been
proclaimed throughout the diocese without any shame to herself, or ill
effects to the community, the cure thought it advisable to receive her
confession in the vestry-room.
Imaginary buzzings also added to her bewilderment. Her mistress often
said to her: "My goodness, how stupid you are!" and she would answer:
"Yes, Madame," and look for something.
The narrow circle of her ideas grew more restricted than it already was;
the bellowing of the oxen, the chime of the bells no longer reached her
intelligence. All things moved silently, like ghosts. Only one noise
penetrated her ears; the parrot's voice.
As if to divert her mind, he reproduced for her the tick-tack of the
spit in the kitchen, the shrill cry of the fish-vendors, the saw of the
carpenter who had a shop opposite, and when the door-bell rang, he would
imitate Madame Aubain: "Felicite! go to the front door.
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