ained firm and defended his
position, quibbled, sought for subterfuges, replied by the eternal and
vague: "What would be the good of it," which nearly sent Charlotte mad,
made her furious and caused her to say angry and ill-tempered things.
But he remained passive and listless, with his back bent like a restive
horse under the whip.

He asked her whether it was really necessary to their happiness, as they
had no children? Did not everybody think that they were married? Was not
she everywhere called Madame de Saint-Juery, and had their servants any
doubt that they were in the service of respectable, married people? Was
not the name which had been transmitted to a man from father to son,
intact, honored, and often with a halo of glory round it, a sacred trust
which no one had a right to touch? What would she gain if she bore it
legitimately? Did she for a moment suppose that she would rise higher in
people's estimation, and be more admitted into society, or that people
would forget that she had been his regular mistress before becoming his
wife? Did not everybody know that formerly, before he rescued her from
that Bohemian life in which she had been waiting for her chance in vain,
and was losing her good looks, Charlotte Guindal frequented all the
public balls, and showed her legs liberally at the _Moulin-Rouge_[12].

[Footnote 12: A cafe chantant, and casino.]

Charlotte knew his crabbed, though also kindly character, which was at
the same time logical and obstinate, too well to hope that she would
ever be able to overcome his opposition and scruples, except by some
clever woman's trick, some well-acted scene in a comedy; so she appeared
to be satisfied with his reasons, and to renounce her bauble, and
outwardly she showed an equable and conciliatory temper, and no longer
worried Monsieur de Saint-Juery with her recriminations, and thus the
time went by, in calm monotony, without fruitless battles or fierce
assaults.

Charlotte Guindal's medical man was Doctor Rabatel, one of those clever
men who appear to know everything, but whom a country bone-setter would
reduce to a "why?" by a few questions; one of those men who wish to
impress everybody with their apparent value, and who make use of their
medical knowledge as if it were some productive commercial house, which
carried on a suspicious business; who can scent out those persons whom
they can manage as they please, as if they were a piece of soft wax, who
keep them