nd spread all
the dirt and refuse about. Lalie, however, came behind and tidied
everything, imparting, at least, some appearance of comfort within. She
might not be rich, but you realized that there was a housewife in the
place. That afternoon her two little ones, Henriette and Jules, had
found some old pictures which they were cutting out in a corner. But
Gervaise was greatly surprised to see Lalie herself in bed, looking very
pale, with the sheet drawn up to her chin. In bed, indeed, then she must
be seriously ill!

"What is the matter with you?" inquired Gervaise, feeling anxious.

Lalie no longer groaned. She slowly raised her white eyelids, and tried
to compel her lips to smile, although they were convulsed by a shudder.

"There's nothing the matter with me," she whispered very softly. "Really
nothing at all."

Then, closing her eyes again, she added with an effort:

"I made myself too tired during the last few days, and so I'm doing the
idle; I'm nursing myself, as you see."

But her childish face, streaked with livid stains, assumed such an
expression of anguish that Gervaise, forgetting her own agony, joined
her hands and fell on her knees near the bed. For the last month she
had seen the girl clinging to the walls for support when she went about,
bent double indeed, by a cough which seemed to presage a coffin. Now the
poor child could not even cough. She had a hiccough and drops of blood
oozed from the corners of her mouth.

"It's not my fault if I hardly feel strong," she murmured, as if
relieved. "I've tired myself to-day, trying to put things to rights.
It's pretty tidy, isn't it? And I wanted to clean the windows as well,
but my legs failed me. How stupid! However, when one has finished one
can go to bed."

She paused, then said, "Pray, see if my little ones are not cutting
themselves with the scissors."

And then she relapsed into silence, trembling and listening to a heavy
footfall which was approaching up the stairs. Suddenly father Bijard
brutally opened the door. As usual he was far gone, and his eyes shone
with the furious madness imparted by the vitriol he had swallowed. When
he perceived Lalie in bed, he tapped on his thighs with a sneer, and
took the whip from where it hung.

"Ah! by blazes, that's too much," he growled, "we'll soon have a laugh.
So the cows lie down on their straw at noon now! Are you poking fun at
me, you lazy beggar? Come, quick now, up you get!"

And he cracked th