On the way to Trouville, Félicité overhears Liebard talking about the woman that Theodore left her to marry, but she does not hear the end of the story. What, if any, function does this have in the story?

On the way to Trouville, Félicité overhears the beginning of a story about the woman Theodore left her to marry, which suggests that they might not have married after all. This isn't confirmed, however, as Liebard moves out of earshot. It seems strange that Félicité does follow up on the story to hear the rest, which would seem like a natural reaction. It is another instance that shows us something about Félicité's character. In this case, it appears she has accepted that he's out of her life and that he no longer has anything to do with her. The narrator doesn't give us any information about her thoughts, however, and we are left to imagine whether she feels any interest or not. It seems like she might have been deceived by him, but we don't know whether she thinks that too or whether it even matters to her. Perhaps Flaubert wants us to feel uncertain about her response because it mirrors everyone else's perception of her which doesn't include any awareness of her previous life.