eek after the marriage, Camille distinctly told his mother that he
intended quitting Vernon to reside in Paris. Madame Raquin protested:
she had arranged her mode of life, and would not modify it in any way.
Thereupon her son had a nervous attack, and threatened to fall ill, if
she did not give way to his whim.

"Never have I opposed you in your plans," said he; "I married my cousin,
I took all the drugs you gave me. It is only natural, now, when I have
a desire of my own, that you should be of the same mind. We will move at
the end of the month."

Madame Raquin was unable to sleep all night. The decision Camille had
come to, upset her way of living, and, in despair, she sought to arrange
another existence for herself and the married couple. Little by little,
she recovered calm. She reflected that the young people might have
children, and that her small fortune would not then suffice. It was
necessary to earn money, to go into business again, to find lucrative
occupation for Therese. The next day she had become accustomed to the
idea of moving, and had arranged a plan for a new life.

At luncheon she was quite gay.

"This is what we will do," said she to her children. "I will go to Paris
to-morrow. There I will look out for a small mercery business for sale,
and Therese and myself will resume selling needles and cotton, which
will give us something to do. You, Camille, will act as you like. You
can either stroll about in the sun, or you can find some employment."

"I shall find employment," answered the young man.

The truth was that an idiotic ambition had alone impelled Camille to
leave Vernon. He wished to find a post in some important administration.
He blushed with delight when he fancied he saw himself in the middle of
a large office, with lustring elbow sleeves, and a pen behind his ear.

Therese was not consulted: she had always displayed such passive
obedience that her aunt and husband no longer took the trouble to ask
her opinion. She went where they went, she did what they did, without a
complaint, without a reproach, without appearing even to be aware that
she changed her place of residence.

Madame Raquin came to Paris, and went straight to the Arcade of the Pont
Neuf. An old maid at Vernon had sent her to one of her relatives who
in this arcade kept a mercery shop which she desired to get rid of.
The former mercer found the shop rather small, and rather dark; but,
in passing through Paris, she had