it possible that your husband, Haggart, should kill Philipp'?"

Silence. Desfoso, who has returned and who is agitated, decides:

"Let her speak. She is his wife."

"You will not believe, Desfoso," says Mariet, turning to the old
fisherman with a tender and mournful smile. "Desfoso, you will not
believe what strange and peculiar creatures we women are!"

Turning to all the people with the same smile, she continues:

"You will not believe what queer desires, what cunning, malicious
little thoughts we women have. It was I who persuaded my husband to
kill Philipp. Yes, yes--he did not want to do it, but I urged him; I
cried so much and threatened him, so he consented. Men always give
in--isn't that true, Desfoso?"

Haggart looks at his wife in a state of great perplexity, his
eyebrows brought close to each other. Mariet continues, without
looking at him, still smiling as before:

"You will ask me, why I wanted Philipp's death? Yes, yes, you will
ask this question, I know it. He never did me any harm, that poor
Philipp, isn't that true? Then I will tell you: He was my
betrothed. I don't know whether you will be able to understand me.
You, old Desfoso--you would not kill the girl you kissed one day? Of
course not. But we women are such strange creatures--you can't even
imagine what strange, suspicious, peculiar creatures we are. Philipp
was my betrothed, and he kissed me--"