For was not his life at stake?
Did not his whole future depend upon the revelations Madame
Ferailleur was about to make?" So this was your object in going
out, mother?" he faltered.
"Yes."
"And you went without warning me?"
"Was it necessary? What! you love a young girl, you swear in my
presence that she shall be your wife, and you think it strange
that I should try to ascertain whether she is worthy of you or
not? It would be very strange if I did not do so."
"This idea occurred to you so suddenly!"
Madame Ferailleur gave an almost imperceptible shrug of the
shoulders, as if she were astonished to have to answer such
puerile objections. "Have you already forgotten the disparaging
remarks made by our new servant, Madame Vantrasson?"
"Good Heavens!"
"I understood her base insinuations as well as you did, and after
your departure I questioned her, or rather I allowed her to tell
her story, and I ascertained that Mademoiselle Marguerite had once
been an apprentice of Vantrasson's brother-in-law, a man named
Greloux, who was formerly a bookbinder in the Rue Saint-Denis, but
who has now retired from business. It was there that Vantrasson
met Mademoiselle Marguerite, and this is why he was so greatly
surprised to see her doing the mistress at the Hotel de Chalusse."
It seemed to Pascal that the throbbing of his heart stopped his
breath.
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