Despite the turn in her fortunes, Mathilde still dreams of a life of ease and wealth. She remembers how admired she was at the ball years ago, and still yearns for the adoration and regard of others. Essentially, Mathilde still pines for "universal homage and admiration." But sometimes, when her husband was at the office, she sat down by the window and thought of that evening long ago, of the ball at which she had been so beautiful and so...
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