There was another pause.  Then, as her husband gazed up at the ceiling with an air of embarrassment, she continued, with increased violence: 

“Really, he seems to ignore all that we have done for him.  We have put ourselves to great inconvenience for his sake; we have given him Augustine’s bedroom, and the poor girl sleeps without a murmur in a stuffy little closet where she can scarcely breathe.  We board and lodge him and give him every attention—­but no, he takes it all quite as a matter of course.  He is earning money, but what he does with it nobody knows; or, rather, one knows only too well.”

“But there’s his share of the inheritance, you know,” Quenu ventured to say, pained at hearing his brother attacked.

Lisa suddenly stiffened herself as though she were stunned, and her anger vanished.

“Yes, you are right; there is his share of the inheritance.  Here is the statement of it, in this drawer.  But he refused to take it; you remember, you were present, and heard him.  That only proves that he is a brainless, worthless fellow.  If he had had an idea in his head, he would have made something out of that money by now.  For my own part, I should be very glad to get rid of it; it would be a relief to us.  I have told him so twice, but he won’t listen to me.  You ought to persuade him to take it.  Talk to him about it, will you?”

Quenu growled something in reply; and Lisa refrained from pressing the point further, being of opinion that she had done all that could be expected of her.

“He is not like other men,” she resumed.  “He’s not a comfortable sort of person to have in the house.  I shouldn’t have said this if we hadn’t got talking on the subject.  I don’t busy myself about his conduct, though it’s setting the whole neighbourhood gossiping about us.  Let him eat and sleep here, and put us about, if he likes; we can get over that; but what I won’t tolerate is that he should involve us in his politics.  If he tries to lead you off again, or compromises us in the least degree, I shall turn him out of the house without the least hesitation.  I warn you, and now you understand!”

Florent was doomed.  Lisa was making a great effort to restrain herself, to prevent the animosity which had long been rankling in her heart from flowing forth.  But Florent and his ways jarred against her every instinct; he wounded her, frightened her, and made her quite miserable.

“A man who has made such a discreditable career,” she murmured, “who has never been able to get a roof of his own over his head!  I can very well understand his partiality for bullets!  He can go and stand in their way if he chooses; but let him leave honest folks to their families!  And then, he isn’t pleasant to have about one!  He reeks of fish in the evening at dinner!  It prevents me from eating.  He himself never lets a mouthful go past him, though it’s little better he seems to be for it all!  He can’t even grow decently stout, the wretched fellow, to such a degree do his bad instincts prey on him!”