l laws. I cannot tell you any more, my darling; but remember
this, only this, that you belong entirely to your husband."

What did she know in reality? What did she guess? She began to tremble,
and she felt low-spirited, and overcome by a presentiment of something
terrible. When she and her father went in again they stopped in surprise
at the drawing-room door. Madame Adelaide was sobbing on Julien's
shoulder. Her noisy tears seemed to be forced from her, and issued at
the same time from her nose, mouth and eyes, and the amazed vicomte was
awkwardly supporting the huge woman, who had thrown herself in his arms
to ask him to be gentle with her darling, her pet, her dear child. The
baron hurried forward.

"Oh, pray do not make a scene, do not let us have any tears," he said,
taking hold of his wife, and seating her in an armchair while she wiped
her face. Then turning towards Jeanne:

"Now then, my dear, kiss your mother and go to bed," he said.

Ready to cry herself, Jeanne quickly kissed her parents and ran away.
Aunt Lison had already gone to her room, so the baron and his wife were
left alone with Julien. They all three felt very awkward, and could
think of nothing to say; the two men, in their evening-dress, remained
standing, looking into space, and Madame Adelaide leant back in her
armchair, her breast still heaved by an occasional sob. At last the
silence became unbearable, and the baron began to talk about the journey
the young couple were going to take in a few days.

Jeanne, in her room, was being undressed by Rosalie, whose tears fell
like rain; her trembling hands could not find the strings and pins, and
she certainly seemed a great deal more affected than her mistress. But
Jeanne did not notice her maid's tears; she felt as though she had
entered another world, and was separated from all she had known and
loved. Everything in her life seemed turned upside down; the strange
idea came to her: "Did she really love her husband?" He suddenly seemed
some stranger she hardly knew. Three months before she had not even been
aware of his existence, and now she was his wife. How had it happened?
Did people always plunge into marriage as they might into some uncovered
hole lying in their path? When she was in her night-dress she slipped
into bed, and the cold sheets made her shiver, and increased the
sensation of cold, and sadness and loneliness which had weighed on her
mind for two hours. Rosalie went away still so