had astonished him. His father's demeanour
stupefied him. He had just caught sight of him at the window, in a white
cravat and black frock-coat, so calm at the approach of danger that all
his ideas were upset. Yet the insurgents were coming back triumphant,
that was the belief of the whole town. But Aristide felt some doubts
on the point; he had suspicions of some lugubrious farce. As he did not
dare to present himself at his parents' house, he sent his wife thither.
And when Angele returned, she said to him, in her drawling voice: "Your
mother expects you; she is not angry at all, she seems rather to be
making fun of you. She told me several times that you could just put
your sling back in your pocket."

Aristide felt terribly vexed. However, he ran to the Rue de la Banne,
prepared to make the most humble submission. His mother was content
to receive him with scornful laughter. "Ah! my poor fellow," said she,
"you're certainly not very shrewd."

"But what can one do in a hole like Plassans!" he angrily retorted. "On
my word of honour, I am becoming a fool here. No news, and everybody
shivering! That's what it is to be shut up in these villainous ramparts.
Ah! If I had only been able to follow Eugene to Paris!"

Then, seeing that his mother was still smiling, he added bitterly:
"You haven't been very kind to me, mother. I know many things, I do. My
brother kept you informed of what was going on, and you have never given
me the faintest hint that might have been useful to me."

"You know that, do you?" exclaimed Felicite, becoming serious and
distrustful. "Well, you're not so foolish as I thought, then. Do you
open letters like some one of my acquaintance?"

"No; but I listen at doors," Aristide replied, with great assurance.

This frankness did not displease the old woman. She began to smile
again, and asked more softly: "Well, then, you blockhead, how is it you
didn't rally to us sooner?"

"Ah! that's where it is," the young man said, with some embarrassment.
"I didn't have much confidence in you. You received such idiots: my
father-in-law, Granoux, and the others!--And then, I didn't want to go
too far. . . ." He hesitated, and then resumed, with some uneasiness:
"To-day you are at least quite sure of the success of the Coup d'Etat,
aren't you?"

"I!" cried Felicite, wounded by her son's doubts; "no, I'm not sure of
anything."

"And yet you sent word to say that I was to take off my sling!"

"Yes; because