said Madeleine, deeply affected. "I was very wrong to
speak so angrily to you, and to say I knew you would be glad to get rid
of me. Pray forgive me, for indeed I did not mean any harm; for, after
all, what use am I either to you or the children? For the last sixteen
months I have kept my bed! Gracious God! what I do suffer with thirst!
For pity's sake, husband, give me something to moisten my burning lips!"

"You shall have it directly; I was trying to warm the cup between my
hands."

"How good you are! and yet I could say such wicked things to you!"

"My poor wife, you are ill and in pain, and that makes you impatient;
say anything you like to me, but pray never tell me again I wish to get
rid of you!"

"But what good am I to any one? what good are our children? None
whatever; on the contrary, they heap more toil upon you than you can
bear."

"True; yet you see that my love for them and you has endued me with
strength and resolution to work frequently twenty hours out of the
twenty-four, till my body is bent and deformed by such incessant labour.
Do you believe for one instant that I would thus toil and struggle on my
own account? Oh, no! life has no such charms for me; and if I were the
only sufferer, I would quickly put an end to it."

"And so would I," said Madeleine. "God knows, but for the children I
should have said to you, long ago, 'Morel, we have had more than enough
to weary us of our lives; there is nothing left but to finish our misery
by the help of a pan of charcoal!' But then I recollected the poor,
dear, helpless children, and my heart would not let me leave them, alone
and unprotected, to starve by themselves."

"Well, then, you see, wife, that the children are, after all, of real
good to us, since they prevent us giving way to despair, and serve as a
motive for exerting ourselves," replied Morel, with ready ingenuity, yet
perfect simplicity of tone and manner. "Now, then, take your drink, but
only swallow a little at a time, for it is very cold still."

"Oh, thank you, Morel!" cried Madeleine, snatching the cup, and drinking
it eagerly.

"Enough! enough! no more! you shall not have any more just now,
Madeleine."

"Gracious Heaven!" exclaimed Madeleine, giving back the cup, "how cold
it seems now I have swallowed it,--it has brought back those dreadful
shiverings!"

"Alas!" ejaculated Morel, "I told you so,--ah, now you are quite ill
again!"

"I have not strength even to tremble,--I s