o fall and crush him; as if
the end of all things had come; as if he were about to be plunged in
icy darkness. She alone existed in the world, she alone was lofty and
virtuous, intelligent and beautiful, with a miraculous beauty. Why,
then, since he adored her and since he was her master, did he not go
upstairs and take her in his arms and kiss her like an idol? They were
both free, she was ignorant of nothing, she was a woman in age. This
would be happiness.

Pascal, who had ceased to weep, rose, and would have walked to the door.
But suddenly he dropped again into his chair, bursting into a fresh
passion of sobs. No, no, it was abominable, it could not be! He felt on
his head the frost of his white hair; and he had a horror of his age,
of his fifty-nine years, when he thought of her twenty-five years. His
former chill fear again took possession of him, the certainty that
she had subjugated him, that he would be powerless against the daily
temptation. And he saw her giving him the strings of her hat to untie;
compelling him to lean over her to make some correction in her work; and
he saw himself, too, blind, mad, devouring her neck with ardent kisses.
His indignation against himself at this was so great that he arose,
now courageously, and had the strength to go upstairs to the workroom,
determined to conquer himself.

Upstairs Clotilde had tranquilly resumed her drawing. She did not even
look around at his entrance, but contented herself with saying:

"How long you have been! I was beginning to think that Martine must have
made a mistake of at least ten sous in her accounts."

This customary jest about the servant's miserliness made him laugh.
And he went and sat down quietly at his table. They did not speak again
until breakfast time. A great sweetness bathed him and calmed him, now
that he was near her. He ventured to look at her, and he was touched by
her delicate profile, by her serious, womanly air of application. Had
he been the prey of a nightmare, downstairs, then? Would he be able to
conquer himself so easily?

"Ah!" he cried, when Martine called them, "how hungry I am! You shall
see how I am going to make new muscle!"

She went over to him, and took him by the arm, saying:

"That's right, master; you must be gay and strong!"

But that night, when he was in his own room, the agony began again. At
the thought of losing her he was obliged to bury his face in the pillow
to stifle his cries. He pictured