w drawing-room
were reported to her, she shuddered at the thought that he was capable
of becoming desperate and ruining all their hopes by force of scandal.

Antoine knew what consternation his demeanour must cause the Rougons,
and it was solely for the purpose of exhausting their patience that he
from day to day affected fiercer opinions. At the cafe he frequented
he used to speak of "my brother Pierre" in a voice which made everybody
turn round; and if he happened to meet some reactionary from the yellow
drawing-room in the street, he would mutter some low abuse which the
worthy citizen, amazed at such audacity, would repeat to the Rougons
in the evening, as though to make them responsible for his disagreeable
encounter.

One day Granoux arrived in a state of fury.

"Really," he exclaimed, when scarcely across the threshold, "it's
intolerable; one can't move a step without being insulted." Then,
addressing Pierre, he added: "When one has a brother like yours, sir,
one should rid society of him. I was just quietly walking past the
Sub-Prefecture, when that rascal passed me muttering something in which
I could clearly distinguish the words 'old rogue.'"

Felicite turned pale, and felt it necessary to apologise to Granoux, but
he refused to accept any excuses, and threatened to leave altogether.
The marquis, however, exerted himself to arrange matters.

"It is very strange," he said, "that the wretched fellow should have
called you an old rogue. Are you sure that he intended the insult for
you?"

Granoux was perplexed; he admitted at last, however, that Antoine might
have muttered: "So you are again going to that old rogue's?"

At this Monsieur de Carnavant stroked his chin to conceal the smile
which rose to his lips in spite of himself.

Then Rougon, with superb composure, replied: "I thought as much; the
'old rogue' was no doubt intended for me. I've very glad that this
misunderstanding is now cleared up. Gentlemen, pray avoid the man in
question, whom I formally repudiate."

Felicite, however, did not take matters so coolly; every fresh scandal
caused by Macquart made her more and more uneasy; she would sometimes
pass the whole night wondering what those gentlemen must think of the
matter.

A few months before the Coup d'Etat, the Rougons received an anonymous
letter, three pages of foul insults, in which they were warned that
if their party should ever triumph, the scandalous story of Adelaide's
amours w