as if he were at death's door; and she trembled when she happened to
reflect that she would one day die herself, and would leave him alone
and suffering. In that contingency, she relied on Therese, saying to
herself that the young girl would be a vigilant guardian beside Camille.
Her niece with her tranquil manner, and mute devotedness, inspired her
with unlimited confidence. She had seen Therese at work, and wished to
give her to her son as a guardian angel. This marriage was a solution to
the matter, foreseen and settled in her mind.

The children knew for a long time that they were one day to marry. They
had grown up with this idea, which had thus become familiar and natural
to them. The union was spoken of in the family as a necessary and
positive thing. Madame Raquin had said:

"We will wait until Therese is one-and-twenty."

And they waited patiently, without excitement, and without a blush.

Camille, whose blood had become impoverished by illness, had remained
a little boy in the eyes of his cousin. He kissed her as he kissed his
mother, by habit, without losing any of his egotistic tranquillity. He
looked upon her as an obliging comrade who helped him to amuse himself,
and who, if occasion offered, prepared him an infusion. When playing
with her, when he held her in his arms, it was as if he had a boy to
deal with. He experienced no thrill, and at these moments the idea
had never occurred to him of planting a warm kiss on her lips as she
struggled with a nervous laugh to free herself.

The girl also seemed to have remained cold and indifferent. At times
her great eyes rested on Camille and fixedly gazed at him with sovereign