hing till we have thought it well over. Will you promise me
to try and bear with your husband until we have decided what is best to
be done?"

"Very well," she answered; "but I will not stay here after I get well."

Then she added, in a whisper: "Where is Rosalie now?"

"You shall not see her any more," replied the baron.

But she persisted: "Where is she? I want to know."

He owned that she was still in the house, but he declared she should go
at once.

Directly he left Jeanne's room, his heart full of pity for his child and
indignation against her husband, the baron went to find Julien, and said
to him sternly:

"Monsieur, I have come to ask for an explanation of your behavior to my
daughter. You have not only been false to her, but you have deceived her
with your servant, which makes your conduct doubly infamous."

Julien swore he was innocent of such a thing, and called heaven to
witness his denial. What proof was there? Jeanne was just recovering
from brain fever, and of course her thoughts were still confused. She
had rushed out in the snow one night at the beginning of her illness, in
a fit of delirium, and how could her statement be believed when, on the
very night that she said she had surprised her maid in her husband's
bed, she was dashing over the house nearly naked, and quite unconscious
of what she was doing!

Julien got very angry, and threatened the baron with an action if he did
not withdraw his accusation; and the baron, confused by this indignant
denial, began to make excuses and to beg his son-in-law's pardon; but
Julien refused to take his outstretched hand.

Jeanne did not seem vexed when she heard what her husband had said.

"He is telling a lie, papa," she said, quietly; "but we will force him
to own the truth."

For two days she lay silent, turning over all sorts of things in her
mind; on the third morning she asked for Rosalie. The baron refused to
let the maid go up and told Jeanne that she had left. But Jeanne
insisted on seeing her, and said:

"Send someone to fetch her, then."

When the doctor came she was very excited because they would not let her
see the maid, and they told him what was the matter. Jeanne burst into
tears and almost shrieked: "I will see her! I will see her!"

The doctor took her hand and said in a low voice:

"Calm yourself, madame. Any violent emotion might have very serious
results just now, for you are _enceinte_."

Jeanne's tears ceased directly