made themselves heard in
the darkness.

On the other bank, the country seats of Croissy ranged themselves and
could be plainly seen.

Paul saw all this as though in a dream, he thought of nothing, understood
nothing, and all things, even his very existence, appeared vague,
far-off, forgotten, done with.

The river was there. Did he know what he was doing? Did he wish to die?
He was mad. He turned himself, however, towards the island, towards her,
and in the still air of the night, in which the faint and persistent
burden of the public house band was borne up and down, he uttered, in
a voice frantic with despair, bitter beyond measure, and superhuman, a
frightful cry:

"Madeleine."

His heartrending call shot across the great silence of the sky, and sped
all around the horizon.

Then, with a tremendous leap, with the bound of a wild animal, he jumped
into the river. The water rushed on, closed over him, and from the place
where he had disappeared a series of great circles started, enlarging
their brilliant undulations, until they finally reached the other bank.
The two women had heard the noise of the plunge. Madeleine drew herself
up and exclaimed:

"It is Paul," a suspicion having arisen in her soul, "he has drowned
himself;" and she rushed towards the bank, where Pauline rejoined her.

A clumsy punt, propelled by two men, turned and returned on the spot. One
of the men rowed, the other plunged into the water a great pole and
appeared to be looking for something. Pauline cried:

"What are you doing? What is the matter?"

An unknown voice answered:

"It is a man who has just drowned himself."

The two ghastly women, squeezing each other tightly, followed the
maneuvers of the boat. The music of La Grenonillere continued to sound in
the distance, and appeared with its cadences to accompany the movements
of the somber fisherman; and the river which now concealed a corpse,
whirled round and round, illuminated. The search was prolonged. The
horrible suspense made Madeleine shiver all over. At last, after at
least half an hour, one of the men announced:

"I have got it."

And he pulled up his long pole very gently, very gently. Then something
large appeared upon the surface. The other mariner left his oars, and
they both uniting their strength and hauling upon the inert weight,
caused it to tumble over into their boat.

Then they made for the land, seeking a place well lighted and low. At the
moment when