“Come now, sir!” exclaimed Baleinier, angrily.

“Well, sir,” resumed Rodin, in a still louder voice, which completely drowned that of the doctor; “is it true, or is it not, that you have recourse to the mean evasion of ascribing this odious imprisonment to a scientific error?  I affirm that you do so, and that you think yourself safe, because you can now say:  `Thanks to my care, the young lady has recovered her reason.  What more would you have?’”

“Yes, I do say that, sir, and I maintain it.”

“You maintain a falsehood; for it is proven that the lady never lost her reason for a moment.”

“But I, sir, maintain that she did lose it.”

“And I, sir, will prove the contrary,” said Rodin.

“You?  How will you do that?” cried the doctor.

“That I shall take care not to tell you at present, as you may well suppose,” answered Rodin, with an ironical smile, adding with indignation:  “But, really, sir, you ought to die for shame, to dare to raise such a question in presence of the lady.  You should at least have spared her this discussion.”

“Sir!”

“Oh, fie, sir!  I say, fie!  It is odious to maintain this argument before her—­odious if you speak truth, doubly odious if you lie,” said Rodin, with disgust.

“This violence is inconceivable!” cried the Jesuit of the short robe, exasperated; “and I think the magistrate shows great partiality in allowing such gross calumnies to be heaped upon me!”

“Sir,” answered M. de Gernande, severely, “I am entitled not only to hear, but to provoke any contradictory discussion that may enlighten me in the execution of my duty; it results from all this, that, even in your opinion, sir, Mdlle. de Cardoville’s health is sufficiently good to allow her to return home immediately.”

“At least, I do not see any very serious inconvenience likely to arise from it, sir,” said the doctor:  “only I maintain that the cure is not so complete as it might have been, and, on this subject, I decline all responsibility for the future.”

“You can do so, safely,” said Rodin; “it is not likely that the young lady will ever again have recourse to your honest assistance.”

“It is useless, therefore, to employ my official authority, to demand the immediate liberation of Mdlle. de Cardoville,” said the magistrate.

“She is free,” said Baleinier, “perfectly free.”

“As for the question whether you have imprisoned her on the plea of a suppositious madness, the law will inquire into it, sir, and you will be heard.”

“I am quite easy, sir,” answered M. Baleinier, trying to look so; “my conscience reproaches me with nothing.”