uport," she murmured, more and more alarmed.

"Are you married?"

"Alas, yes, sir!" with a profound sigh.

"Have you any children?"

Here, instead of replying, the poor mother gave way to a flood of tears.

"It is no use crying,--answer! Have you any children?"

"Yes, sir,--two little boys, and a girl of sixteen."

Then followed a string of questions impossible to repeat, but to which
Jeanne could only reply in stammering, and after many severe rebukes
from the doctor. The poor woman was overwhelmed with shame, compelled as
she was to reply aloud to such questions before such a numerous
auditory.

The doctor, completely absorbed by scientific feelings, did not give the
smallest heed to Jeanne's distress, and continued:

"How long have you been ill?"

"Four days, sir," replied Jeanne, drying her tears.

"Tell us how your illness first disclosed itself."

"Sir,--why,--there are so many persons here, that I dare not."

"Pooh! Where do you come from, my dear woman?" inquired the doctor,
impatiently; "would you like to have a confessional brought? Come, come,
make haste!"

"Sir, these are family matters."

"Oh, be easy, we are all family men here; a large family, too, as you
see," added the prince of science, who was in very high spirits that
day. "Come, come, let us have an end of this."

More and more alarmed, Jeanne, stammering and hesitating at each moment,
said:

"I had--a quarrel with my husband--about the children; I mean my eldest
daughter, that he wanted to take away; and I wouldn't agree, because of
a wicked woman he lived with, and who might give bad advice to my
daughter. So then, my husband, who was tipsy,--yes, sir,--for if not,
he'd never have done it,--my husband gave me a very hard push, and I
fell; and then, soon after, I began to vomit blood."

"Pooh, pooh, pooh! Your husband pushed you, and you fell; you describe
it very nicely! Why, he did more than push you; he must have struck you
in the stomach; perhaps trampled on you, or kicked you? Come,
answer,--let's have the truth."

"Oh, sir, I assure you that he was tipsy; but for that he would never
have been so wicked."

"Good or wicked, drunk or sober, it is not to the purpose, my good
woman. I am not a public officer, and only want a fact accurately
described. Now, were you not knocked down, and trampled under foot?"

"Yes!" said Jeanne, weeping; "and yet I never gave him any cause of
complaint. I worked as long as I could, and--