Miss Harriet

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Miss Harriet (French Miss Harriet , first published by T. Miss Hastings ) is a novella by Guy de Maupassant . It first appeared on July 9, 1883 in Le Gaulois .

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The old painter León Chenal travels with six companions to visit the ruins of Tancarville . During a break, he tells of the most tragic love story of his life. In his youth he stayed in a hostel to study nature. Another guest was an elderly English woman, Miss Harriet, who intended to spend the winter there. She was an old maid and deeply religious, very reserved, ate her meals quickly without speaking to anyone, and read a lot of her Protestant books. Once the painter showed around a picture that he had done particularly well. Miss Harriet liked the picture and the two became friends. One day when the two met, Miss Harriet wept and trembled. Then she ran away. Chenal realized that she loved him. In the evening he informed the innkeepers that he would be leaving the next morning. That night he kissed the servant Céleste at the chicken coop. Miss Harriet, who couldn't sleep, witnessed what had happened. The English woman was missing the next morning. Chenal sent Céleste to the well to get him water. She found that something was in the well. Miss Harriet's body was pulled out. She had thrown herself into it out of lovesickness.

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