Graveyard Sirens (Maupassant)

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Graveyard Sirens
Summary of a Short Story
Microsummary
A man met a grieving widow in a cemetery, began a brief affair with her, and later discovered her using the same tactics to seduce another man in the same cemetery.
This microsummary is too short: 164 chars. Optimal length: 190—200 characters.

Five middle-aged and wealthy friends gathered once a month for dinner, reminiscing about old times and discussing various topics. One of the liveliest among them was Joseph de Bardon, a bachelor who enjoyed sharing amusing stories from his adventures and observations.

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Joseph de Bardon — narrator; middle-aged bachelor, boulevardier, witty, observant, and adventurous.

One day, Joseph shared a curious story about his visit to the Montmartre cemetery. He enjoyed visiting cemeteries as they provided him with a sense of peace and allowed him to pay tribute to his deceased friends. While visiting the grave of a former lover, he noticed a young woman mourning at a nearby grave. She was grieving for her husband, an officer killed in Tonkin.

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The Widow — young woman in mourning; attractive, fair-haired, lonely, and manipulative.

Joseph helped the woman when she fainted, and they eventually left the cemetery together. The widow said to Joseph, "One may love a friend just as much as a wife, for passion knows no law."

One may love a friend just as much as a wife, for passion knows no law.

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The two formed a brief romantic relationship, which lasted about three weeks before Joseph ended it, citing an urgent trip. A month later, Joseph returned to the cemetery and saw the same woman with another man, also in mourning. He wondered if she was a clever courtesan who exploited the amorous regrets of grieving men or if she was unique in her approach. Joseph pondered, "Are there graveyard sirens?"

Are there graveyard sirens?

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Joseph never found out the truth about the woman, but her mysterious presence in the cemetery continued to intrigue him.