tfuenzalida
05-09-2015, 10:58 AM
Hello everyone. I am a student at TCU and one of my professors told me about a French short story from the late 19th or early 20th century. He cannot remember the name or the author (possibly Maupassant, but I have not found it under his name), but I would very much like to find it. The story he related to me was:
A young man falls in love, gets engaged with his girlfriend, and all seems well. One fine day, however, he disappears. Upon his return a fortnight later, he is a broken man, haggard and despondent, and wants to break off the engagement with his fiancee. Ah, pity! but what had he done? He had been so in love that he could not tolerate the thought of possibly bringing his beloved any displeasure, any whatsoever. And he had been faithful, so faithful--but there was the rub! Thus he resolved to go to Paris, and visited the brothel houses just to make sure. However, he discovered to his horror that he didn't have it! What the young man didn't have was LOVE--he was only in love with his fiancee, and had nothing but contempt for the prostitutes. So he couldn't do it, and what did the young man do? He blamed himself.
Any assistance in finding this story, naming a possible author, or pointing me to a place where I might find it, would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
A young man falls in love, gets engaged with his girlfriend, and all seems well. One fine day, however, he disappears. Upon his return a fortnight later, he is a broken man, haggard and despondent, and wants to break off the engagement with his fiancee. Ah, pity! but what had he done? He had been so in love that he could not tolerate the thought of possibly bringing his beloved any displeasure, any whatsoever. And he had been faithful, so faithful--but there was the rub! Thus he resolved to go to Paris, and visited the brothel houses just to make sure. However, he discovered to his horror that he didn't have it! What the young man didn't have was LOVE--he was only in love with his fiancee, and had nothing but contempt for the prostitutes. So he couldn't do it, and what did the young man do? He blamed himself.
Any assistance in finding this story, naming a possible author, or pointing me to a place where I might find it, would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.