Opravy

On the Thursday of March 6th, 1862, two days after mardi Gras, five women from the village of La Jonchère showed up at [the police station (of/in) Bougival/Bougival’s police station].

They said that for two days no one had seen one of their neighbors: (the) widow Lerouge, who lived alone in an isolated cottage.

On several occasions, they knocked on the door in vain.

The windows, like the door, were perfectly shut.

It had been impossible to take a look inside.

That (silence/quietness) and that disappearance (worried/concerned) them.

Fearing a crime, or at least an accident, they requested that (the) ‘Justice’ force (the door open and get into the house/their way in) so that they (could/might) be reassured.

Bougival is (an amiable/a pleasant) region, crowded every Sunday with boaters.

Many misdemeanors are seen there, but (felonies/crimes) are rare, so the (police) captain at first refused to (give in to/comply with) the petitioners’ request.

However, they were so determined, and they insisted much and (for/during) a long time that the magistrate (gave in/yielded).

He sent (for/someone to bring) the police (team leader/squad leader/corporal/brigadier) and two of his men, called for a locksmith and, (thus accompanied/with this company), followed (the) widow Lerouge’s neighbors.

La Jonchère owes some (celebrity/fame/recognition) to the [(inventor/creator) of the sliding railroad/sliding railroad’s (inventor/creator)], who has been performing public experiments of his system there for several years.

It is an irrelevant hamlet sitting on the slope of the hill overlooking the Seine, between the Malmaison and Bougival.

It (around/about) twenty minutes away from the (great/large) road that goes from Paris to Saint-Germain (via/getting through) Reuil and Port-Marly.

A steep path that [(knows/meets) no bridge or (road/dyke)/unknown to bridges and (roads/dykes)] leads there.

The small group, with the (policemen/police officers) ahead of them, followed then the large dyke containing the Seine at this place and soon, turning to the right, joined the side road, bordered (by/with) walls and deeply steep-sided.

After a few steps, they were (facing/in front of) a house with (such a modest though honest appearance/the most modest, and yet modest, appearance).

That house, or rather that humble dwelling, must have been built by some Parisian shopkeeper,in love with the beautiful nature, since all the trees had been carefully cut down.

Deeper than larger, it consisted of a two-room ground floor with an attic above.

Around it, a (barely maintained/kept) garden stretched out, poorly protected against (marauders/thieves) (by/with) an around-one-meter-long wall of dry masonry, which was still (collapsing/falling down/crumbling) in some places.

Light wooden railings turning in iron wire straps gave access to the garden.

“It’s here,” the women said.

The (captain/lieutenant) stopped.

(On his way there/During his journey), his (entourage/parade/procession) quickly grew (bigger) with all the onlookers and idlers of the region.

He was now surrounded by (around/about) forty curious people.

“(Don’t let anyone/Let no one) (get into/enter) the garden,” he said.

And, to make sure to be obeyed, he placed two (officers/police/policemen) on guard duty in front of the entrance, and (continued/advanced) being escorted by the police (team leader/squad leader/corporal/brigadier) and the locksmith.

Several times, he himself, using the knob on his plumbed cane, (slammed/hit strongly/knocked with strength on) the door first, then all (of) the shutters, one after the other.

After every (stroke/hit/knock/slam), he would stick his ear against the wood and listen.

Not hearing anything, he turned (to/towards) the locksmith.

“Open it,” he said.