Josephine did not take up the challenge; she continued quietly: “That, then, is the position in which we stand to one another, clearly set forth. Let us get on to the facts; and I’ll be quite brief. Your father, mademoiselle, Beaumagnan and their confederates, were engaged in a common enterprise; for my part, I am seeking the same end and Ralph is seeking it with passionate intensity. From that it comes about that we are waging an unceasing war against one another. Now, all of us have had relations with a woman of the name of Rousselin, who possessed an old casket which we had needed to succeed in that enterprise. She has parted with that casket to another person. We questioned her in the most pressing manner without getting from her the name of that person, who, it appears, had heaped benefits on her and whom she did not wish to compromise by any indiscreet statement. All that we could learn was--it’s an old story, of which I propose to give you main facts, which you will follow with the greatest interest both from our point of view ... and from your own.” Ralph began to discern the course that Josephine was taking and the end to which she must inevitably come. It was so frightful that he said angrily: “No, no: not that! There are things which should never be revealed!” She did not appear to hear him, and went on inexorably: “This is the story: Twenty-two years ago, during the war between France and Prussia, two men, who were flying from the invaders and escaping under the guidance of old Rousselin, murdered a servant of the name of Jaubert in order to steal his horse. With that horse they were able to escape. Moreover, they carried away with them a casket that they had also stolen from their victim, which contained jewels of great value. Later old Rousselin, whom they had compelled to accompany them and to whom they had given his share of the booty some worthless rings, came back to his wife at Rouen and almost immediately died there. To such an extent had this murder and his involuntary complicity in it depressed him. Thereupon relations were established between the widow and the murderers, who feared that she might let the truth slip out; and it came about--I take it, mademoiselle, that you now understand with whom we are concerned?” Clarice was listening to this revelation with so painful an air of terror that Ralph exclaimed: “Silence, Josine! Not a word more! What you are doing is in the highest degree vile and absurd. What’s the use of it?” “The use of it?” she said sharply. “The time has come for the whole truth to be told. You have thrown us, her and me, into opposition. It is only fair that she and I should be on equal terms in our suffering.” “You’re a perfect savage!” he murmured in a tone of despair.