After losing the borrowed necklace, Matilda faces poverty bravely and heroically. She and her husband send away their maid, leave their lodgings, and move into a cheap attic. Matilda does all household work herself — washing dishes, scrubbing floors, carrying water, and shopping at the grocer's and butcher's, haggling over every sou. Her husband works late into the night copying manuscripts. They endure this hard life for ten years, finally repaying the debt of thirty-six thousand francs. Matilda, once a delicate and vain woman, becomes strong, rough, and aged — but she faces her misfortune completely and heroically.
Source: The Necklace, Chapter 7
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The examiner looks for: (1) specific details of the hardships Matilda endures, (2) the word "heroically" (used in the text itself — quoting it shows close reading), and (3) the time span of ten years. Avoid vague statements like "she worked hard"; name the actual tasks from the passage. Three marks = three clear points, so structure around: domestic labour, husband's contribution, and the outcome/transformation.