ood God! Of
your person or your mind?"

But Jean knew full well that he had touched the wound in his soul.

"Yes, jealous of me--jealous from your childhood up. And it became
fury when you saw that this woman liked me best and would have nothing
to say to you."

Pierre, stung to the quick by this assumption, stuttered out:

"I? I? Jealous of you? And for the sake of that goose, that gaby, that
simpleton?"

Jean, seeing that he was aiming true, went on:

"And how about the day when you tried to pull me round in the
_Pearl_? And all you said in her presence to show off? Why you are
bursting with jealousy? And when this money was left to me you were
maddened, you hated me, you showed it in every possible way, and made
every one suffer for it; not an hour passes that you do not spit out
the bile that is choking you."

Pierre clenched his fist in his fury with an almost irresistible
impulse to fly at his brother and seize him by the throat.

"Hold your tongue," he cried. "At least say nothing about that money."

Jean went on:

"Why your jealousy oozes out at every pore. You never say a word to my
father, my mother, or me that does not declare it plainly. You pretend
to despise me because you are jealous. You try to pick a quarrel with
every one because you are jealous. And now that I am rich you can no
longer contain yourself; you have become venomous, you torture our
poor mother as if she were to blame!"

Pierre had retired step by step as far as the fireplace, his mouth
half open, his eyes glaring, a prey to one of those mad fits of
passion in which crime is committed.

He said again in a lower tone, gasping for breath: "Hold your
tongue--for God's sake hold your tongue!"

"No! For a long time I have been wanting to give you my whole mind!
you have given me an opening--so much the worse for you. I love the
woman; you know it, and laugh her to scorn in my presence--so much the
worse for you. But I will break your viper's fangs, I tell you. I
will make you treat me with respect."

"With respect--you?"

"Yes--me."

"Respect you? You who have brought shame on us all by your greed."

"You say--? Say it again--again."

"I say that it does not do to accept one man's fortune when another is
reputed to be your father."

Jean stood rigid, not understanding, dazed by the insinuation he
scented.

"What? Repeat that once more."

"I say--what everybody is muttering, what every gossip is
blabbing--that you a