se quarrels, she remained alone with Pascal, after Clotilde
had fled to hide herself in her room. There was silence for a moment. In
spite of the heartbroken air which she had assumed, a wicked joy shone
in the depths of her sparkling eyes.

"But your unhappy house is a hell!" she cried at last.

The doctor avoided an answer by a gesture. He had always felt that his
mother backed the young girl, inflaming her religious faith, utilizing
this ferment of revolt to bring trouble into his house. He was not
deceived. He knew perfectly well that the two women had seen each
other during the day, and that he owed to this meeting, to a skilful
embittering of Clotilde's mind, the frightful scene at which he still
trembled. Doubtless his mother had come to learn what mischief had been
wrought, and to see if the _denouement_ was not at last at hand.

"Things cannot go on in this way," she resumed. "Why do you not separate
since you can no longer agree. You ought to send her to her brother
Maxime. He wrote to me not long since asking her again."

He straightened himself, pale and determined.

"To part angry with each other? Ah, no, no! that would be an eternal
remorse, an incurable wound. If she must one day go away, I wish that we
may be able to love each other at a distance. But why go away? Neither
of us complains of the other."

Felicite felt that she had been too hasty. Therefore she assumed her
hypocritical, conciliating air.

"Of course, if it pleases you both to quarrel, no one has anything to
say in the matter. Only, my poor friend, permit me, in that case, to say
that I think Clotilde is not altogether in the wrong. You force me to
confess that I saw her a little while ago; yes, it is better that you
should know, notwithstanding my promise to be silent. Well, she is not
happy; she makes a great many complaints, and you may imagine that I
scolded her and preached complete submission to her. But that does not
prevent me from being unable to understand you myself, and from thinking
that you do everything you can to make yourself unhappy."

She sat down in a corner of the room, and obliged him to sit down with
her, seeming delighted to have him here alone, at her mercy. She had
already, more than once before, tried to force him to an explanation in
this way, but he had always avoided it. Although she had tortured
him for years past, and he knew her thoroughly, he yet remained
a deferential son, he had sworn never to aba