"One moment," she said hoarsely, her eyes glittering with cupidity in their deep orbits, "I shall not eat your gold!" "That is just what I am urging you to do, Mamma Lacombe; I want you to eat that gold, on condition--" "I know Mariette," she interrupted, her wistful gaze still fixed on the gold, "she will never consent." "Nonsense!" "I tell you she is an upright girl. She might, like many others, yield to a man she loved; but to you--never! She would refuse, I am sure. You may laugh, but she has ideas of her own." "Granted, my good woman. I believe in Mariette's good principles, for Madame Jourdan has known her many years and she has full confidence in her." "Well, then?" "Well, I also know, Mamma Lacombe, that you possess great influence over her and that she fears you like the devil himself--so Madame Jourdan informed me. Now, you can induce, or, it need be, compel Mariette to accept happiness! For, after all, you are lodged like beggars and starving to death. Besides, if you refuse, do you know what will happen? The girl, with her fine sentiments of disinterestedness, will, sooner or later, become the victim of some unscrupulous rascal as poor as herself." "That may be, but she will not have sold her soul." "Tut, tut, tut, those are mere phrases. Some fine day, this lover of her choice will probably desert her; then, to save herself from starvation, she will end like the rest--mark my word." "Yes, that may be," she repeated, with a dismal moan. "Hunger is a bad counselor, when we and our children have known its pangs. And how many of those poor, unhappy girls might be saved with this gold! And if Mariette were destined to end like them--would it not be better to yield now?" For a few moments, the most varied emotions were depicted on the pale, emaciated features of the unhappy, crippled creature. With eyes still fixed hungrily on the glittering pieces, she strove to calm the struggle waged between misery and virtue in her heart; then, by a desperate effort, she closed her eyes as if to escape the fascination of the gold, and sank back wearily on her wretched pallet. "Go, and leave me in peace!" she said feebly, as if exhausted by the violent conflict. "What! you refuse?" he cried in amazement. "Yes." "Positively refuse?" "Yes." "Very well, I shall take back my gold," he rejoined, slowly picking up the louis and jingling them together. "I shall refill my pockets with the glittering yellow coins." "The devil take you and your gold!" cried the exasperated woman. "Take it, and go! I have not sheltered Mariette all these years to sell her, body and soul. Rather than eat such bread, I would build a charcoal fire and make on end to us both." At these words Mariette entered, pale and indignant, her cheeks bathed in tears and her eyes flashing with anger and scorn.