nce of the wind, which
for six days had been sweeping over its face. And like the wind-blown
trees Pascal stood firm, his garments flapping like banners, his beard
and hair blown about and lashed by the storm. His breath caught by the
wind, his hands pressed upon his heart to quiet its throbbing, he saw
the train flying in the distance across the bare plain, a little train
which the mistral seemed to sweep before it like a dry branch.

XII.

From the day following Clotilde's departure, Pascal shut himself up in
the great empty house. He did not leave it again, ceasing entirely the
rare professional visits which he had still continued to make, living
there with doors and windows closed, in absolute silence and solitude.
Martine had received formal orders to admit no one under any pretext
whatever.

"But your mother, monsieur, Mme. Felicite?"

"My mother, less than any one else; I have my reasons. Tell her that
I am working, that I require to concentrate my thoughts, and that I
request her to excuse me."

Three times in succession old Mme. Rougon had presented herself. She
would storm at the hall door. He would hear her voice rising in anger as
she tried in vain to force her way in. Then the noise would be stilled,
and there would be only a whisper of complaint and plotting between her
and the servant. But not once did he yield, not once did he lean over
the banisters and call to her to come up.

One day Martine ventured to say to him:

"It is very hard, all the same, monsieur, to refuse admittance to one's
mother. The more so, as Mme. Felicite comes with good intentions, for
she knows the straits that monsieur is in, and she insists only in order
to offer her services."

"Money!" he cried, exasperated. "I want no money, do you hear? And
from her less than anybody. I will work, I will earn my own living; why
should I not?"

The question of money, however, began to grow pressing. He obstinately
refused to take another sou from the five thousand francs locked up
in the desk. Now that he was alone, he was completely indifferent to
material things; he would have been satisfied to live on bread and
water; and every time the servant asked him for money to buy wine, meat,
or sweets, he shrugged his shoulders--what was the use? there remained a
crust from the day before, was not that sufficient? But in her affection
for her master, whom she felt to be suffering, the old servant was
heart-broken at this miserline