The circle of mountains seemed to close in behind the boat as she slowly steamed across the azure water which was so transparent that in places the bottom could be seen. Ajaccio came in sight; it was a white town at the foot of the mountains, with a few small Italian boats lying at anchor in the harbor, and four or five row-boats came beside the _Roi Louis_ to take off the passengers. Julien, who was looking after the luggage, asked his wife in a low tone: "A franc is enough, isn't it, to give the steward?" The whole week he had been constantly asking her this question which she hated. "When you don't know what is enough, give too much," she answered, a little impatiently. He haggled with every one, landlords and hotel-waiters, cabmen and shopmen, and when he had obtained the reduction he wanted, he would rub his hands, and say to Jeanne: "I don't like to be robbed." She trembled when the bills were brought, for she knew beforehand the remarks he would make on each item, and felt ashamed of his bargaining; and when she saw the scornful look of the servants as her husband left his small fee in their hands, she blushed to the roots of her hair. Of course he had a discussion with the boatmen who took them ashore. The first tree she saw on landing was a palm, which delighted her. They went to a big empty hotel standing at the corner of a vast square, and ordered lunch. When they had finished dessert, Jeanne got up to go and wander about the town, but Julien, taking her in his arms, whispered tenderly in her ear: "Shall we go upstairs for a little while, my pet?" "Go upstairs?" she said, with surprise; "but I am not at all tired." He pressed her to him: "Don't you understand? For two days--" She blushed crimson. "Oh, what would everyone say? what would they think? You could not ask for a bedroom in the middle of the day. Oh, Julien, don't say anything about it now, please don't." "Do you think I care what the hotel-people say or think?" he interrupted. "You'll see what difference they make to me." And he rang the bell. She did not say anything more, but sat with downcast eyes, disgusted at her husband's desires, to which she always submitted with a feeling of shame and degradation; her senses were not yet aroused, and her husband treated her as if she shared all his ardors. When the waiter answered the bell, Julien asked him to show them to their room; the waiter, a man of true Corsican type, bearded to the eyes, did not understand, and kept saying that the room would be quite ready by the evening. Julien got out of patience. "Get it ready at once," he said. "The journey has tired us and we want to rest."