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Fruitfulness by Émile Zola
page 99 of 561 (17%)
Mathieu was alone with his wife, he learnt what the trouble was.
Morange's scheme of leaving the Beauchene works and entering the service
of the Credit National, where he would speedily rise to a high and
lucrative position, his hope too of giving Reine a big dowry and marrying
her off to advantage--all the ambitious dreams of rank and wealth in
which his wife and he had indulged, now showed no likelihood of
fulfilment, since it seemed probable that Valerie might again have a
child. Both she and her husband were in despair over it, and though
Marianne had done her utmost to pacify her friend and reconcile her to
circumstances, there were reasons to fear that in her distracted
condition she might do something desperate.

Four days later, when the Froments lunched with the Seguins du Hordel at
the luxurious mansion in the Avenue d'Antin, they came upon similar
trouble there. Seguin, who was positively enraged, did not scruple to
accuse his wife of infidelity, and, on his side, he took to quite a
bachelor life. He had been a gambler in his younger days, and had never
fully cured himself of that passion, which now broke out afresh, like a
fire which has only slumbered for a time. He spent night after night at
his club, playing at baccarat, and could be met in the betting ring at
every race meeting. Then, too, he glided into equivocal society and
appeared at home only at intervals to vent his irritation and spite and
jealousy upon his ailing wife.

She, poor woman, was absolutely guiltless of the charges preferred
against her. But knowing her husband, and unwilling for her own part to
give up her life of pleasure, she had practised concealment as long as
possible. And now she was really very ill, haunted too by an unreasoning,
irremovable fear that it would all end in her death. Mathieu, who had
seen her but a few months previously looking so fair and fresh, was
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