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Short Stories with Peter from Your English Toolbox
I am Peter.
Tonight, one borrowed necklace will give a womanthe happiest evening of her life.
By the next morning, it will seem to havedestroyed her future.
The truth will arrive ten years too late.
This is The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant.
First published in French in 1884.
This is a new English abridgment adapted for B1-B2learners by Your English Toolbox.
Mathilde Loisel was young, beautiful, and unhappywith her ordinary life.
She dreamed of elegant rooms, fine dresses, andadmiration.
Instead, she lived in a small Paris apartment withher husband, a kind government clerk.
One evening, Monsieur Loisel came home holding alarge envelope.
Inside was an invitation to an important eveningat the ministry.
What can I wear when every woman there will lookrich?
Her husband quietly offered her the money he hadbeen saving for a hunting trip.
The new dress was soon ready, but Mathilde wasstill miserable.
I have no jewellery, so I will never look thepart.
Ask your friend Jeanne Forestier to lend yousomething.
The next day, Jeanne opened her jewellery box andinvited Mathilde to choose.
Among the bracelets and pearls, Mathilde found amagnificent diamond necklace in a black satin
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case.
Could you lend me this one?
Of course.
At the ministry, Mathilde attracted more attentionthan she had ever imagined.
For a few perfect hours, she danced and felt thatshe belonged to the world she desired.
At four in the morning, Monsieur Loisel placedtheir plain old coat around Mathilde's beautiful
dress.
Ashamed that the wealthy guests might see it, shehurried into the cold street.
After a long carriage ride home, Mathilde stoodbefore the mirror for one last look at herself.
Then she screamed,
The necklace is gone.
They searched the dress, the coat, the apartment,and the route home.
Monsieur Loisel went to the police and thecarriage companies, but nothing was found.
Write to Jeanne and say that the clasp has brokenand is being repaired.
The lie gave them time, but after a week theychose to replace the necklace without telling
Jeanne the truth.
They found an almost identical necklace, costing36,000 francs, far beyond their means.
Monsieur Loisel used his inheritance and borrowedthe rest from many lenders.
You should have brought it back sooner.
Jeanne accepted the replacement without openingits case.
The Loisels dismissed their servant and moved intoa tiny room.
Mathilde carried water, washed clothes, andcounted every coin.
Her husband worked by day and copied documentslate into the night.
Ten years passed before they finally paid off thedebt.
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By then, Mathilde looked older and harder.
On Sunday, Mathilde saw Jeanne on the Champs-Élysées.
She did not recognize Mathilde.
It is me, Jeanne, Mathilde Loisel.
Mathilde! How you have changed!
I lost the necklace you lent me.
We bought another one, and it took us ten years topay for it.
Mathilde smiled with tired pride because the debtwas behind her.
Oh, my poor Mathilde. My necklace was not made ofreal diamonds.
It was worth no more than 500 francs.
Ten years of poverty had paid for a mistake thathonesty might have prevented.
Now notice four expressions that carry the meaningof the story.
To look the part means to have the appearanceexpected in a particular situation.
Mathilde thinks jewelry will help her look thepart.
Beyond your means, describe something you cannotreasonably afford.
The replacement necklace is far beyond theLoisels' means.
To pay off a debt means to return all the moneyyou owe.
The couple need ten years to pay off their debt.
To take something at face value means to acceptits appearance without questioning it.
Everyone takes the necklace at face value.
The ending also gives us a powerful thirdconditional.
If Mathilde had told Jeanne the truth, she wouldnot have lost ten years of her life.
We use if plus the past perfect and would haveplus a past participle to imagine a different past
result.
What would you have done?
Would you have confessed immediately or would youhave tried to replace the necklace?
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You can find the complete transcript, translationsin several languages and a vocabulary guide on our
website, yourenglishtoolbox.com.
There is a direct link to the episode page and allits resources in this episode description.
This was The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant, newlyabridged in English for B1-B2 learners by Your
English Toolbox.
I am Peter. Thank you for listening.