The young woman, more and more uneasy, turned away her head. "Well, I didn't care about it," said she. "You don't want to force me to do things that displease me." Roubaud opened his arms, as if to say that he had no intention of forcing her to do anything. Nevertheless, he resumed: "Look here, you are hiding something. Did Madame Bonnehon receive you badly the last time you went there?" Oh! no; Madame Bonnehon had always welcomed her with great kindness, she was so amiable. Tall, and well developed, with magnificent light hair, she still remained beautiful, notwithstanding her fifty-five years. Gossip had it that since her widowhood, and even during the lifetime of her husband, her heart had frequently been occupied. They adored her at Doinville, where she made the château a perfect paradise. All Rouen society visited there, particularly the magistracy; and it was among this body that Madame Bonnehon had met with a great many friends. "Then own that it was the Lachesnayes who gave you the cold shoulder," continued Roubaud. It was true that since Berthe had married M. de Lachesnaye, she had not been on the same terms with Séverine as before. This poor Berthe, who looked so insignificant with her red nose, was certainly not improving in character. The ladies at Rouen extolled her noble bearing in no mean measure. But a husband such as she had, ugly, harsh, and miserly, seemed likely to communicate his bad qualities to his wife, and make her ill-natured. Still, Séverine had nothing in particular to reproach her with. Berthe had been agreeable to her former companion. "Then it's the President who displeases you down there," remarked Roubaud. Séverine, who had been answering slowly and in an even tone, became impatient again. "He! What an idea!" she exclaimed. And she continued in short, nervous phrases. They barely caught sight of him. He had reserved to himself a pavilion in the park, having a door opening on a deserted lane. He went out and came in without anybody knowing anything about his movements. His sister never even knew positively on what day he arrived. He took a vehicle at Barentin, and drove over by night to Doinville, where he remained for days together in his pavilion, ignored by everyone. Ah! it was not he who troubled them down there. "I only mention it," said Roubaud, "because you have told me, over and over again, that in your childhood, he frightened you out of your senses." "Oh! frightened me out of my senses!" she replied. "You exaggerate, as usual. It is a fact that he rarely laughed. He stared at you so with his great eyes, that he made you hang your head at once. I have seen persons confused, to the point of being unable to say a word to him, so deeply were they impressed by his great reputation for severity and wisdom. But as for me, I was never scolded by him. I always felt he had a weakness for me." Once more her speech became slow, and her eyes were lost in space.