happened."

Then she suddenly began to talk freely, relieving her pent-up heart,
that poor, solitary, crushed heart--laying bare her sorrow, her whole
sorrow, before those severe men whom she had until now taken for enemies
and inflexible judges.

"Yes, it was Monsieur Joseph Varambot, when he came on leave last year."

"What does Mr. Joseph Varambot do?"

"He is a non-commissioned officer in the artillery, monsieur. Well,
he stayed two months at the house, two months of the summer. I thought
nothing about it when he began to look at me, and then flatter me, and
make love to me all day long. And I let myself be taken in, monsieur. He
kept saying to me that I was a handsome girl, that I was good company,
that I just suited him--and I, I liked him well enough. What could I do?
One listens to these things when one is alone--all alone--as I was. I am
alone in the world, monsieur. I have no one to talk to--no one to tell
my troubles to. I have no father, no mother, no brother, no sister,
nobody. And when he began to talk to me it was as if I had a brother
who had come back. And then he asked me to go with him to the river one
evening, so that we might talk without disturbing any one. I went--I
don't know--I don't know how it happened. He had his arm around me.
Really I didn't want to--no--no--I could not--I felt like crying, the
air was so soft--the moon was shining. No, I swear to you--I could
not--he did what he wanted. That went on three weeks, as long as he
stayed. I could have followed him to the ends of the world. He went
away. I did not know that I was enceinte. I did not know it until the
month after--"

She began to cry so bitterly that they had to give her time to collect
herself.

Then the president resumed with the tone of a priest at the
confessional: "Come, now, go on."

She began to talk again: "When I realized my condition I went to see
Madame Boudin, who is there to tell you, and I asked her how it would
be, in case it should come if she were not there. Then I made the
outfit, sewing night after night, every evening until one o'clock in the
morning; and then I looked for another place, for I knew very well that
I should be sent away, but I wanted to stay in the house until the
very last, so as to save my pennies, for I have not got very much and I
should need my money for the little one."

"Then you did not intend to kill him?"

"Oh, certainly not, monsieur!"

"Why did you kill him, then?"

"