r that? She'll turn
her off, and that'll be the end of it. We'll advise her to try the air
in another quarter--off she goes!--and we sha'n't see her again. But it
would be too stupid for her to steal. She'll arrange it somehow, she'll
hunt round and turn things over. I don't know how, not I! but that's her
affair, you understand. This is the time for her to show her talents. By
the way, perhaps you don't know, they say her old woman's sick. If the
dear lady should happen to step out and leave her all the stuff, as the
story goes in the quarter--why, it wouldn't be a bad thing to have
played see-saw with her, eh, mamma? We must put on gloves, you see,
mamma, when we're dealing with people who may have four or five thousand
a year come tumbling into their aprons."

"Oh! my God! what are you talking about? But after the way I treated
her--oh! no, she'll never come back here."

"Well! I tell you I'll bring her back--and to-night at the latest," said
Jupillon, rising, and rolling a cigarette between his fingers. "No
excuses, you know," he said to his mother, "they won't do any good--and
be cold to her. Act as if you received her only on my account, because
you are weak. No one knows what may happen, we must always keep an
anchor to windward."

XXX

Jupillon was walking back and forth on the sidewalk in front of
Germinie's house when she came out.

"Good-evening, Germinie," he said, behind her.

She turned as if she had been struck, and, without answering his
greeting, instinctively moved on a few steps as if to fly from him.

"Germinie!"

Jupillon said nothing more than that; he did not follow her, he did not
move. She came back to him like a trained beast when his rope is taken
off.

"What is it?" said she. "Do you want more money? or do you want to tell
me some of your mother's foolish remarks?"

"No, but I am going away," said Jupillon, with a serious face. "I am
drafted--and I am going away."

"You are going away?" said she. She seemed as if her mind was not awake.

"Look here, Germinie," Jupillon continued. "I have made you unhappy. I
haven't been very kind to you, I know. My cousin's been a little to
blame. What do you want?"

"You're going away?" rejoined Germinie, taking his arm. "Don't lie to
me--are you going away?"

"I tell you, yes--and it's true. I'm only waiting for marching orders.
You have to pay more than two thousand francs for a substitute this
year. They say there's going to be