, rosy fingers into his neck, she squeezed him so tightly, with
all the vigor of a desperate woman, that the blood spurted out under her
nails, and she bit his shoulder, as if she wished to tear it with her
teeth. Parent, half-strangled and choking, loosened his hold on Limousin,
in order to shake off his wife, who was hanging to his neck. Putting his
arms round her waist, he flung her also to the other end of the
drawing-room.

Then, as his passion was short-lived, like that of most good-tempered
men, and his strength was soon exhausted, he remained standing between
the two, panting, worn out, not knowing what to do next. His brutal fury
had expended itself in that effort, like the froth of a bottle of
champagne, and his unwonted energy ended in a gasping for breath. As soon
as he could speak, however, he said:

"Go away--both of you--immediately! Go away!"

Limousin remained motionless in his corner, against the wall, too
startled to understand anything as yet, too frightened to move a finger;
while Henriette, with her hands resting on a small, round table, her head
bent forward, her hair hanging down, the bodice of her dress unfastened,
waited like a wild animal which is about to spring. Parent continued in a
stronger voice: "Go away immediately. Get out of the house!"

His wife, however, seeing that he had got over his first exasperation
grew bolder, drew herself up, took two steps toward him, and, grown
almost insolent, she said: "Have you lost your head? What is the matter
with you? What is the meaning of this unjustifiable violence?"

But he turned toward her, and raising his fist to strike her, he
stammered out: "Oh--oh--this is too much, too much! I heard
everything! Everything--do you understand? Everything! You
wretch--you wretch! You are two wretches! Get out of the house, both
of you! Immediately, or I shall kill you! Leave the house!"

She saw that it was all over, and that he knew everything; that she could
not prove her innocence, and that she must comply. But all her impudence
had returned to her, and her hatred for the man, which was aggravated
now, drove her to audacity, made her feel the need of bravado, and of
defying him, and she said in a clear voice: "Come, Limousin; as he is
going to turn me out of doors, I will go to your lodgings with you."

But Limousin did not move, and Parent, in a fresh access of rage, cried
out: "Go, will you? Go, you wretches! Or else--or else----" He seized
a cha