The Child (Maupassant)
A conversation about a recent abortion in the parish led to a heated debate between a doctor and a Baroness. The doctor argued that people with strong passions cannot resist their desires and should not be judged harshly for their actions. To support his argument, he shared the story of a woman named Hélène, who had a strong sensual temperament since childhood.
Hélène married three times, but her husbands either died or left her due to her insatiable desires. After her third husband left, she tried to remain virtuous but eventually succumbed to her desires and became pregnant by her gardener. Desperate to get rid of the child, she tried various methods to induce a miscarriage but failed.
Wretched, indeed, are those whom perfidious nature has endowed with strong passions.
Hélène's obsession with removing the child from her body grew stronger, and she became increasingly unstable. One day, her mother jokingly commented on her weight gain, which pushed Hélène over the edge. In a fit of madness, she took a carving knife and cut open her abdomen to remove the child. She died in the process, with her body lying on top of the unborn child.
She performed her task very well, indeed, and very quickly, for she caught hold of this enemy which had hitherto eluded her grasp.
The doctor asked the Baroness if she thought Hélène was wicked, but she did not respond.