He scribbled a line on the table, and said as he rose:  “It is thirty-five minutes past two.  You would perhaps find the doctor at home now.”

She had risen at the same time, and as she looked at the clock a fierce thrill swept through her frame.  In truth it was already thirty-five minutes past two, and the hands were still creeping on.  She stammered out that the doctor must have started on his round of visits.  Her eyes were riveted on the dial.  Meantime, Monsieur Rambaud remained standing hat in hand, and beginning his story once more.  These poor people had sold everything, even their stove, and since the setting in of winter had spent their days and nights alike without a fire.  At the close of December they had been four days without food.  Helene gave vent to a cry of compassion.  The hands of the clock now marked twenty minutes to three.  Monsieur Rambaud devoted another two minutes to his farewell:  “Well, I depend on you,” he said.  And stooping to kiss Jeanne, he added:  “Good-bye, my darling.”

“Good-bye; don’t worry; mamma won’t forget.  I’ll make her remember.”

When Helene came back from the ante-room, whither she had gone in company with Monsieur Rambaud, the hands of the clock pointed to a quarter to three.  Another quarter of an hour and all would be over.  As she stood motionless before the fireplace, the scene which was about to be enacted flashed before her eyes:  Juliette was already there; Henri entered and surprised her.  She knew the room; she could see the scene in its minutest details with terrible vividness.  And still affected by Monsieur Rambaud’s awful story she felt a mighty shudder rise from her limbs to her face.  A voice cried out within her that what she had done—­the writing of that letter, that cowardly denunciation—­was a crime.  The truth came to her with dazzling clearness.  Yes, it was a crime she had committed!  She recalled to memory the gesture with which she had flung the letter into the box; she recalled it with a sense of stupor such as might come over one on seeing another commit an evil action, without thought of intervening.  She was as if awaking from a dream.  What was it that had happened?  Why was she here, with eyes ever fixed on the hands of that dial?  Two more minutes had slipped away.

“Mamma,” said Jeanne, “if you like, we’ll go to see the doctor together to-night.  It will be a walk for me.  I feel stifling to-day.”

Helene, however, did not hear; thirteen minutes must yet elapse.  But she could not allow so horrible a thing to take place!  In this stormy awakening of her rectitude she felt naught but a furious craving to prevent it.  She must prevent it; otherwise she would be unable to live.  In a state of frenzy she ran about her bedroom.

“Ah, you’re going to take me!” exclaimed Jeanne joyously.  “We’re going to see the doctor at once, aren’t we, mother darling?”

“No, no,” Helene answered, while she hunted for her boots, stooping to look under the bed.