further need to assume a
friendliness which she did not feel.

All the way home this woman's heart grew more and more bitter because
of the jealous thoughts that rankled in her breast. Her love for her
husband was of that selfish sort, that exacted all for herself. She
wished not only to be first in his affections, but she desired to be
second, third, and last. He must not love any other than herself,
unless indeed it might have been a child of hers. Having been denied
that boon, she could not bear to think that he had been the father of
a child not hers. She hated that dead mother, and lacking opportunity
to vent her spite in that direction, she transferred her venom to her
offspring. She had never liked Leon, but now she despised him utterly.
She thought of Lossy, the dog which her husband had bought and
presented to Leon. That the Doctor should have been so solicitous for
the lad, galled her. The dog had always been an object upon which she
would vent her spite when it could not be known, but now she would
give some open evidence of her displeasure.

As she entered the hallway at home, imagine her delight to see Lossy,
poor dog, sitting down idly tearing a fine lace handkerchief with his
teeth. It seemed to her that Providence offered her an excuse for what
she contemplated. She called the dog to her, and the faithful,
unsuspecting creature followed her up the stairs to his doom. She went
into the laboratory, knowing that both the Doctor and Leon were out,
and readily found a bottle marked "Aconite."

She sat upon a low bench and called Lossy. The confiding beast went to
her, and, raising himself, planted his forepaws in her lap. He would
have kissed her face, but she prevented him. Grasping his jaws in her
powerful hands she forced them open, and poured the entire contents of
the bottle into his mouth, holding his jaws apart until he was forced
to swallow the liquid. Then she released him, and he ran to that
asylum of refuge and safety, his master's room. Alas, that master was
away, courting! Thus Lossy's fate was sealed!

Madame awaited for Leon's return, anxious to gloat over his grief at
the death of his pet, and it was for this, and to carry out another
design, that she went to his room while he was ministering to his dog.
Before she could fulfil her other project her husband, having returned
home, interrupted them, having been attracted by the noise from Leon's
room.

When she left them Madame went to her