way,
saying to her: "To-morrow morning at five o'clock, without fail." And
she replied: "To-morrow at five o'clock."

She came at daybreak, and found Honore eating his soup, which he had
made himself, before going to work.

"Well, is your mother dead?" asked the nurse.

"She is rather better, on the contrary," he replied, with a malignant
look out of the corner of his eyes. Then he went out.

La Rapet was seized with anxiety, and went up to the dying woman, who
was in the same state, lethargic and impassive, her eyes open and her
hands clutching the counterpane. The nurse perceived that this might go
on thus for two days, four days, eight days, even, and her avaricious
mind was seized with fear. She was excited to fury against the cunning
fellow who had tricked her, and against the woman who would not die.

Nevertheless, she began to sew and waited with her eyes fixed on the
wrinkled face of Mother Bontemps. When Honore returned to breakfast he
seemed quite satisfied, and even in a bantering humor, for he was
carrying in his wheat under very favorable circumstances.

La Rapet was getting exasperated; every passing minute now seemed to
her so much time and money stolen from her. She felt a mad inclination
to choke this old ass, this headstrong old fool, this obstinate old
wretch--to stop that short, rapid breath, which was robbing her of her
time and money, by squeezing her throat a little. But then she
reflected on the danger of doing so, and other thoughts came into her
head, so she went up to the bed and said to her: "Have you ever seen
the Devil?"

Mother Bontemps whispered: "No."

Then the sick-nurse began to talk and to tell her tales likely to
terrify her weak and dying mind. "Some minutes before one dies the
Devil appears," she said, "to all. He has a broom in his hand, a
saucepan on his head and he utters loud cries. When anybody had seen
him, all was over, and that person had only a few moments longer to
live"; and she enumerated all those to whom the Devil had appeared that
year: Josephine Loisel, Eulalie Ratier, Sophie Padagnau, Seraphine
Grospied.

Mother Bontemps, who was at last most disturbed in mind, moved about,
wrung her hands, and tried to turn her head to look at the other end of
the room. Suddenly La Rapet disappeared at the foot of the bed. She
took a sheet out of the cupboard and wrapped herself up in it; then she
put the iron pot on to her head, so that its three short bent feet rose