1850-1893

        The passage under consideration is the short story “A Dead Woman's Secret” written by the French author of the naturalistic school Guy de Maupassant, who is generally considered the greatest French short story writer. Maupassant took the subjects for his pessimistic stories and novels chiefly from the behavior of the bourgeoisie, the Franco-Prussian War and the fashionable life of Paris. The writer is usually regarded as one of the fathers of the modern short story and one of the form's finest exponents, with some 300 short stories written. His first published story "Ball of Fat" (1880) is often considered to be his masterpiece. Maupassant wrote comfortably in both the high realistic and fantastic modes. The fantastic approach in the author’s style was influenced by his mental state as he was suffering from a disease that caused increasing mental disorder. It is reflected in his nightmarish stories, which have much in common with Edgar Allan Poe's supernatural visions. Maupassant’s most famous novel “Bel Ami” is hold in a high regard by critics and reading audience in general.