deed was not asleep.

When Suzanne left the room, Mine. Walter turned to her husband and
asked in despair: "What does that mean?"

"It means that that intriguer has influenced her. It is he who has made
her refuse Cazolles. You have flattered and cajoled him, too. It was
Bel-Ami here, Bel-Ami there, from morning until night. Now you are paid
for it!"

"I?"

"Yes, you. You are as much infatuated with him as Madeleine, Suzanne,
and the rest of them. Do you think that I did not see that you could
not exist for two days without him?"

She rose tragically: "I will not allow you to speak to me thus. You
forget that I was not brought up like you, in a shop."

With an oath, he left the room, banging the door behind him.

When he was gone, she thought over all that had taken place. Suzanne
was in love with Bel-Ami, and Bel-Ami wanted to marry Suzanne! No, it
was not true! She was mistaken; he would not be capable of such an
action; he knew nothing of Suzanne's escapade. They would take Suzanne
away for six months and that would end it.

She rose, saying: "I cannot rest in this uncertainty. I shall lose my
reason. I will arouse Suzanne and question her."

She proceeded to her daughter's room. She entered; it was empty; the
bed had not been slept in. A horrible suspicion possessed her and she
flew to her husband. He was in bed, reading.

She gasped: "Have you seen Suzanne?"

"No--why?"

"She is--gone! she is not in her room."

With one bound he was out of bed; he rushed to his daughter's room; not
finding her there, he sank into a chair. His wife had followed him.

"Well?" she asked.

He had not the strength to reply: he was no longer angry; he groaned:
"He has her--we are lost."

"Lost, how?"

"Why, he must marry her now!"

She cried wildly: "Marry her, never! Are you mad?"

He replied sadly: "It will do no good to yell! He has disgraced her.
The best thing to be done is to give her to him, and at once, too; then
no one will know of this escapade."

She repeated in great agitation: "Never; he shall never have Suzanne."

Overcome, Walter murmured: "But he has her. And he will keep her as
long as we do not yield; therefore, to avoid a scandal we must do so at
once."

But his wife replied: "No, no, I will never consent."

Impatiently he returned: "It is a matter of necessity. Ah, the
scoundrel--how he has deceived us! But he is shrewd at any rate. She
might have done better as far as position, but not