not find the window open next Monday evening at seven o'clock I will
come with a detail the following day and arrest the inmates of the house
and then will return and bear away the little one. Think of it well; _au
revoir_, Silvine."

He sauntered quietly away, and she remained standing, rooted to her
place, her head filled with such a swarming, buzzing crowd of terrible
thoughts that it seemed to her she must go mad. And during the whole of
that long day the tempest raged in her. At first the thought occurred
to her instinctively to take her child in her arms and fly with him,
wherever chance might direct, no matter where; but what would become
of them when night should fall and envelop them in darkness? how earn a
livelihood for him and for herself? Then she determined she would speak
to Jean, would notify Prosper, and Father Fouchard himself, and again
she hesitated and changed her mind: was she sufficiently certain of
the friendship of those people that she could be sure they would not
sacrifice her to the general safety, she who was cause that they were
menaced all with such misfortune? No, she would say nothing to anyone;
she would rely on her own efforts to extricate herself from the peril
she had incurred by braving that bad man. But what scheme could she
devise; _mon Dieu!_ how could she avert the threatened evil, for her
upright nature revolted; she could never have forgiven herself had she
been the instrument of bringing disaster to so many people, to Jean in
particular, who had always been so good to Charlot.

The hours passed, one by one; the next day's sun went down, and still
she had decided upon nothing. She went about her household duties as
usual, sweeping the kitchen, attending to the cows, making the soup. No
word fell from her lips, and rising ever amid the ominous silence she
preserved, her hatred of Goliah grew with every hour and impregnated her
nature with its poison. He had been her curse; had it not been for him
she would have waited for Honore, and Honore would be living now,
and she would be happy. Think of his tone and manner when he made her
understand he was the master! He had told her the truth, moreover;
there were no longer gendarmes or judges to whom she could apply for
protection; might made right. Oh, to be the stronger! to seize and
overpower him when he came, he who talked of seizing others! All she
considered was the child, flesh of her flesh; the chance-met father
was naught, n