CHAPTER NINE

The weekend had arrived and it was Saturday evening. Two weeks had passed since Adèle and Robert had had their talk about Edna. Every light in the large dining hall was lit, and all of the tables had been taken away to make room for the large number of guests who were now gathered there. Many relatives, mainly fathers and husbands, had come to Grand Isle to visit their children and wives for a day and an evening. Chairs were placed around the room so that little groups could be formed for conversation. The people shared with their families the stories and news of the past week. Then, after a while, the little groups started to open up to those who were not family members. And soon the occasion became a social gathering for the community. Once everyone felt easy and calm, the gathering started to become a little more active. Music began to be performed, and then people started to dance. Games were played and the children eagerly looked through the comic books Mr Pontellier had brought with him from the city.

Then the guests asked the Farival twins to play something on the piano for them. They played two songs for the party and everyone was quite happy with their performance. Madame Lebrun's bird cried, "Allez vous-en! Sapristi!" He was the only one at the party who did not pretend he had not heard them play these songs before. The twins' grandfather got angry with the bird and demanded that it be removed from the party. Victor Lebrun refused. Luckily the bird did not make any further comments for the rest of the performance.

And then a young girl danced for everyone, while her mother played the piano. She was dressed perfectly for the occasion. She wore a little black dress with black shoes. Her movements were very smooth and surprisingly quick. She obviously practiced very often.

Madame Ratignolle then decided to play a waltz on the piano so that everyone else could now dance all together. She played beautifully and made the dance quite enjoyable to the guests who participated. In fact, the only people who did not participate were the Farival twins. They could not stand the idea of being separated and they did not think of the possibility of simply dancing with each other.

Afterwards, ice cream and cake were served to the guests. Victor had arranged this. And, seeing how everybody seemed to like the food, he felt proud that it had turned out well, and made it a point to encourage everyone to eat more. And then it was time for the kids to go to bed. Some did as their parents asked them, while others cried and insisted that they be allowed to stay up longer.

Mrs Pontellier danced several times throughout the night. A few times with her husband, as well as once with Robert and Mr Ratignolle. Feeling a bit hot and tired, she went to the front of the building to sit for a moment and watch both the guests and the sea. The moon was bright that evening, throwing its light down upon the water.

Then Robert joined her outside and asked if she would like for Ms Reisz to play some music. Edna did want this, but she felt that the woman would not feel like playing. Robert, hearing this, decided to do his best to get her to come and perform.

Ms Reisz was not a very friendly or social person. However, it was not too hard for Robert to get her to agree to come to the party. She came into the dining hall wearing an ugly dress with fake flowers in her hair. Her face showed no emotion at all. She walked directly to the piano.

"What does Mrs Pontellier want to hear?" asked Ms Reisz, sitting at the instrument with her hands down at her sides. Everyone had stopped talking. There was a feeling of curiosity throughout the room. Edna felt embarrassed being the center of attention.

"Anything Ms Reisz would like to play would be fine," she said.

Mrs Pontellier thought of herself as a music lover. When someone managed to play a piece of music well, it caused all kinds of emotions to rise within her. She would often sit quietly and listen to Madame Ratignolle practice in the mornings. Her friend explained that she continued to play because she thought it was good for her children to often hear music in the house.

One of the songs Adèle played made Edna think of a man wearing no clothing standing next to the sea. She did not know the name of the song, but she liked to call it "Alone." She imagined the man watching a bird flying across the sky. The man felt lonely and without hope.

Some of the other songs she played made Edna think of children running around together in a field, or of an old woman holding a cat in her arms.

The very first sound made by Ms Reisz on the piano, caused Edna to shake in her chair. This woman was a true piano player. Her playing did not have the same effect on Mrs Pontellier as the songs of Madame Ratignolle. Instead of seeing images in her mind, Edna became full of emotion. The music demanded a response from her very soul. She began to cry.

When the woman finished playing, she immediately stood up from the piano seat and walked out of the room without looking at anyone. Outside, she approached Edna.

"So, what did you think?" she asked. Edna could not say anything. Her tears prevented her from seeing and speaking. Ms Reisz understood and put her hand on Edna's arm.

"When I play here at Grand Isle, I only play for you. Everyone else is a damned fool." And then Ms Reisz went back to her cottage and locked the door.

However, she did not realize that those other "fools" had appreciated her playing very much. The crowd of people in the dining hall could not stop talking about her beautiful playing. "She's the best I've ever heard!" some shouted, while others claimed that she expressed every composer's ideas perfectly when she played.

The hour was approaching midnight when the party came to an end. Everyone began to return to his or her cottages to prepare for bed. However, one person had the idea of going for a swim at that late hour.

(end of section)