But her husband cried:
"How stupid you are! Go and find your friend Madame Forestier and ask her to lend you some jewels. You are intimate enough with her for that."
She uttered a cry of joy.
"Of course. I had not thought of that."
The next day she went to her friend's house and told her distress.
Madame Forestier went to her handsome wardrobe, took out a large casket, brought it back, opened it, and said to Madame Loisel:
"Choose, my dear."
She saw first of all some bracelets, then a pearl necklace, then a Venetian cross of gold set with precious stones of wonderful workmanship. She tried on the ornaments before the glass, hesitated, could not make up her mind to part with them, to give them back. She kept asking:
"You have nothing else?"
"Why, yes. But I do not know what will please you."