eer in suspense before the judgment
of the Chamber, the influence of the Hemerlingues on the judge-advocate,
and the necessity of the sacrifice at the moment of all personal feeling
to such important interests. He spoke hotly, tried to convince her, to
carry her away. But she merely answered him, "I shall not go," as if it
were only a matter of some unimportant walk, a little too long for her.

He said trembling:

"See, now, it is not possible that you should say that. Think that my
fortune is at stake, the future of our children, the name you bear.
Everything is at stake in what you cannot refuse to do."

He could have spoken thus for hours and been always met by the same
firm, unshakable obstinacy--an Afchin could not visit a slave.

"Well, madame," said he violently, "this slave is worth more than you.
She has increased tenfold her husband's wealth by her intelligence,
while you, on the contrary----"

For the first time in the twelve years of their married life Jansoulet
dared to hold up his head before his wife. Was he ashamed of this crime
of _lese-majeste_, or did he understand that such a remark would place
an impassable gulf between them? He changed his tone, knelt down before
the bed, with that cheerful tenderness when one persuades children to be
reasonable.

"My little Martha, I beg of you--get up, dress yourself. It is for your
own sake I ask it, for your comfort, for your own welfare. What would
become of you if, for a caprice, a stupid whim, we should become poor?"

But the word--poor--represented absolutely nothing to the Levantine. One
could speak of it before her, as of death before little children.
She was not moved by it, not knowing what it was. She was perfectly
determined to keep in bed in her _djebba_; and to show her decision, she
lighted a new cigarette at her old one just finished; and while the poor
Nabob surrounded his "dear little wife" with excuses, with prayers, with
supplications, promising her a diadem of pearls a hundred times more
beautiful than her own, if she would come, she watched the heavy smoke
rising to the painted ceiling, wrapping herself up in it as in an
imperturbable calm. At last, in face of this refusal, this silence, this
barrier of headstrong obstinacy, Jansoulet unbridled his wrath and rose
up to his full height:

"Come," said he, "I wish it."

He turned to the negresses:

"Dress your mistress at once."

And boor as he was at the bottom, the son of a south