"No? Well, then, when a person or a thing plagues me, I get rid of it, and the quicker the better."

Notwithstanding his excitement, Madame Bastien did not for a moment believe that her husband thought of killing her; so, trying to discover his intention, under his mask of besotted anger, she said to him:

"If I understand you rightly, monsieur, you have decided to rid yourself of persons who annoy you or displease you?"

"Just so! As your little puppy of a son plagues me, to-morrow I will get rid of him."

"You will get rid of him? But, monsieur--"

"Silence! Bridou will take him; he will take him away with him to-morrow evening, upon our return from Blemur."

"You say, monsieur, that M. Bridou will take my son; please explain to me."

"He will take him for his board as a young clerk, and your Benjamin who is not mine will be lodged, fed, and washed, and at eighteen years will get six hundred francs, if Bridou is satisfied with him."

"n.o.body will dispose of my son's future without my consent, monsieur."

"Eh!" replied Jacques, with a sort of hollow roar.

"Oh, monsieur, if you were to kill me on the spot, I would say the same thing."

"Eh!" again roared the colossus, more threatening still.

"I tell you, monsieur, that my son shall not leave me. He will continue his studies under the direction of his preceptor. I will inform you, if you wish, of the plans I have for Frederick, and--"

"Ah! that is it, is it?" cried the colossus, furious at the resistance of his wife. "Ah, well, to-morrow I will take this Latin spitter by the shoulders and kick him out of my door. Another one who plagues me, and I will get rid of. As to you--"

"What will be my fate, monsieur?"

"You shall clear the house, like the others."

"What do you say, monsieur?"

"When I have enough of a thing, or when I have too much of a thing or a person, I get rid of it."

"So, monsieur, you intend to drive me out of your house?"

"Still stubborn, are you? For seventeen years you have been no good to me, you have turned my son against me, you have plundered my wood, stolen my silver,--all that plagues me, and I wish to get rid of it. But to begin, where are your jewels?"

"My jewels?" asked Marie, astonished at this unexpected demand.

"Yes, your jewels, valued at nearly one thousand francs; go and get them and give them to me; that will compensate me for the silver you have robbed me of."

"I do not own these jewels any longer, monsieur."

"What!"

"I have sold them."

"What!" cried Jacques, stammering with anger, "you--you--you--"

"I have sold them, monsieur, at the same time the silver was sold, and for the same object."

"You lie!" cried the colossus, in a formidable voice.

"Oh, speak lower, monsieur, I implore you, speak lower."

"You are hiding your jewels to keep from paying me," added Hercules, taking a step toward his wife with his fists clenched, and his face livid with rage; "you are twice a thief!"

"Please, monsieur, do not scream so!" cried the young woman, not thinking of the grossness of the insults heaped upon her, but fearing that Frederick and David might be awakened by his loud talk.

In short, furious that he could not obtain his wife's jewels as a compensation for the loss of his silver,--the one idea which had occupied his mind the whole evening,--Jacques, excited to frenzy by wine and disappointed rage, cried out:

"Ah! you have hidden those jewels, have you? Well, it will not be to-morrow that you will go out of my house, but it will be to-night,--at once."

"Monsieur, this is a cruel jest," replied Marie, overcome by so many bitter experiences. "I desire to go to my chamber; it is late, and I am chilled. To-morrow we will talk seriously; you will then regain your self-possession, and--"

"That is as much as to say I am drunk now, eh?"

"To-morrow, monsieur. Permit me to retire."

Jacques, dreadful with anger, hatred, and drunkenness, walked up to his wife, and pointing to the dark corridor which conducted to the outside door, said:

"Go out of my house! I order you out, you double thief!"

Marie could not believe that Jacques was speaking seriously. She had been trying to end the painful conversation as soon as possible, to prevent the intervention of David and her son. So she answered, addressing her husband with the greatest sweetness, hoping thereby to calm him:

"Monsieur, I beseech you, go to your chamber, and let me go to mine. I repeat to you that to-morrow--"

"G.o.d's thunder!" cried Jacques, beside himself with rage, "I did not tell you to go back to your chamber, but to go out of my house. Must I take you by the shoulders and put you out?"

"Outside!" cried Marie, who understood from the ferocity of Bastien's face that he was speaking seriously.

It was ferocity, it was stupidity, but what could be expected from such a wretch, made furious by drink.

"Outside!" said Marie again, terrified. "But, monsieur, you do not mean it; it is night, it is cold."

"What is all that to me?"

"Monsieur, I beseech you, come to yourself. My G.o.d! it is one o'clock in the morning; where do you wish me to go?"

"I will--"

"But, monsieur--"

"Once more! will you go out, thief?"

And the colossus made a step toward his wife.