miserable that it has almost broken my heart when I have seen it."

He walked up and down the room with hands clenched, repeating: "Hold your
tongue--hold your tongue----" For he could find nothing
else to say. The old servant, however, would not yield; she seemed
resolved on everything.

George, who had been at first astonished and then frightened at those
angry voices, began to utter shrill screams, and remained behind his
father, with his face puckered up and his mouth open, roaring.

His son's screams exasperated Parent, and filled him with rage and
courage. He rushed at Julie with both arms raised, ready to strike her,
exclaiming: "Ah! you wretch. You will drive the child out of his senses."
He already had his hand on her, when she screamed in his face:

"Monsieur, you may beat me if you like, me who reared you, but that will
not prevent your wife from deceiving you, or alter the fact that your
child is not yours----"

He stopped suddenly, let his arms fall, and remained standing opposite to
her, so overwhelmed that he could understand nothing more.

"You need only to look at the child," she added, "to know who is its
father! He is the very image of Monsieur Limousin. You need only look at
his eyes and forehead. Why, a blind man could not be mistaken in him."

He had taken her by the shoulders, and was now shaking her with all his
might. "Viper, viper!" he said. "Go out the room, viper! Go out, or I
shall kill you! Go out! Go out!"