This is a short novella, set in Germany occupied France in 1870-71. I’ve read a Ukrainian translation.

A group of French middle and upper class married couples travel by a coach to the sea-port in order to possibly move to Britain if Prussians remain in France. In this company there is a big woman, who is known for her dalliances with men. Initially she warms up the group’s attitude toward her by sharing a meal, but later they are stopped by a Prussian officer, who insists that she should sleep with him to allow the coach to continue its journey. She refuses due to her patriotic feelings, but the rest start peer pressure her.

A classic ‘socially conscious’ literature of the second half of 19th century. It criticizes duplicity of bourgeois morale and gives ironic depictions of Frenchmen, from merchant selling bad wines to revolutionary in love with own voice. Of course, there are a lot of passages, which sound not politically correct now, like ‘feminine men’ (as an insult).