said. "Is Suzanne here?"

"Where would you have her go? She has no one left. Who knows when
Jorance will be out of prison? And, besides, will he ever forgive her?"

He stood wrapped in thought and asked:

"Has Marthe met her?"

"There was a terrible scene between them. I found Suzanne with her face
streaming with blood, all over scratches."

"Oh, the poor things!" he murmured. "The poor things!..."

His head fell; and, presently, she saw that he was weeping.

As she had no word of consolation to offer him, she turned round and
walked to the drawing-room, where she shifted the furniture so as to
have the satisfaction of putting it back in its place. She tried to find
a pretext to utter her resentment. When Philippe sat down at the table,
she showed him the newspapers:

"Have you seen them?"

"Yes, the news is bad."

"That's not the point. The point is that the cabinet has fallen on the
publication of the under-secretary's report. The whole Chamber rose up
in protest."

"Well?"

"Well, that report is the one based upon the last enquiry ... of two
days ago ... at the Butte-aux-Loups.... So you see ..."

Philippe felt a need to justify himself:

"You forget, mother, that there was an unexpected factor in the case.
Before the sitting of the Chamber, a telegram had been published
reporting the words spoken by the emperor after hearing the
Statthalter's explanation."

He pointed to one of the papers:

"Here, mother, read this. These are the emperor's own words: 'Our
conscience is now at ease. We had the might; we have the right. God
decide the issue! I am ready.' And the Chamber, when condemning and
overthrowing a ministry that was prepared for conciliation, intended to
reply to words which it looked upon as provocative."

"Very well," said the old lady. "But, all the same, the report made no
difference."

"Yes, that is so."

"Then what was the good of all your fuss and bothering? It was no use
doing so much harm, considering that it served no purpose."

Philippe shook his head:

"It had to be. Certain actions must be performed and they should not be
judged by the consequences which accident thrusts upon them, but by
those which we expected of them, in all human logic and in all good
faith."

"Empty phrases!" she said, obstinately. "You ought not to have done
it.... It was a very useless piece of heroism...."

"Don't think that, mother. There was no need to be a hero to act as I
did. It was enou