If, as it would
seem, my opinion still weighs with you a little, before Paula leaves
your house you will ask her pardon for the hatred with which you have
persecuted her for years, which has now led you to add an intolerable
insult--in which you yourself do not believe--to all the rest."

At this Paula, who had been watching the physician all through his
speech, turned to Dame Neforis, and unclasped her hands which were
lying in her lap, ready to shake hands with her uncle's wife if she only
offered hers, though she was still fully resolved to leave the house.

A terrible storm was raging in the lady's soul. She felt that she had
often been unkind to Paula. That a painful doubt still obscured the
question as to who had stolen the emerald she had unwillingly confessed
before she had come up here. She knew that she would be doing her
husband a great service by inducing the girl to remain, and she would
only too gladly have kept the leech in the house;--but then how deeply
had she, and her son, been humiliated by this haughty creature!

Should she humble herself to her, a woman so much younger, offer her
hand, make....

At this moment they heard the tinkle of the silver bowl, into which her
husband threw a little ball when he wanted her. His pale, suffering face
rose before her inward eye, she could hear him asking for his opponent
at draughts, she could see his sad, reproachful gaze when she told him
to-morrow that she, Neforis, had driven his niece, the daughter of the
noble Thomas, out of the house--, with a swift impulse she went towards
Paula, grasping the reliquary in her left hand and holding out her
right, and said in a low voice.

"Shake hands, girl. I often ought to have behaved differently to you;
but why have you never in the smallest thing sought my love? God is my
witness that at first I was fully disposed to regard you as a daughter,
but you--well, let it pass. I am sorry now that I should--if I have
distressed you."

At the first words Paula had placed her hand in that of Neforis. Hers
was as cold as marble, the elder woman's was hot and moist; it seemed as
though their hands were typical of the repugnance of their hearts.
They both felt it so, and their clasp was but a brief one. When Paula
withdrew hers, she preserved her composure better than the governor's
wife, and said quite calmly, though her cheeks were burning:

"Then we will try to part without any ill-will, and I thank you for
having mad