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"Sister，"saidMadameThuillier，withdignity，"Itookthesacramentthismorning，andtherearesomethingsIcannotlistento。"
"There’sacantinghypocriteforyou！"criedBrigitte；"playingthesaint，andbringingtroubleintofamilies！Andyouthinktosucceed，doyou？WaittillThuilliercomeshome，andhe’llshakethisoutofyou。"
Bycallinginthemaritalauthorityinsupportofherown，Brigitteshowedweaknessbeforetheunexpectedresistancethusmadetoherinveteratetyranny。MadameThuillier’scalmwords，whichbecameeverymomentmoreresolute，baffledhercompletely，andshefoundnoresourcebutinsolence。
"Adrone！"shecried；"ahelplessgood—for—nothing！whocan’tevenpickupherownhandkerchief！thatthingwantstobemistressofthishouse！"
"Iwishsolittletobeitsmistress，"saidMadameThuillier，"thatlastnightIallowedyoutosilencemeafterthefirstwordsIsaidinbehalfofCeleste。ButIammistressofmyownproperty，andasI
believethatCelestewillbewretchedinthismarriage，Ikeepittouseasmayseembesttome。"
"Yourproperty，indeed！"saidBrigitte，withasneer。
"Yes，thatwhichIreceivedfrommyfatherandmymother，andwhichI
broughtasmy’dot’toMonsieurThuillier。"
"Andpraywhoinvestedit，thisproperty，andmadeitgiveyoutwelvethousandfrancsayear？"
"Ihaveneveraskedyouforanyaccountofit，"saidMadameThuillier，gently。"Ifithadbeenlostintheusesyoumadeofit，youwouldneverhaveheardasinglewordfromme；butithasprospered，anditisjustthatIshouldhavethebenefit。ItisnotformyselfthatI
reserveit。"
"Perhapsnot；ifthisisthecourseyoutake，itisnotatallsurethatyouandIwillgooutofthesamedoorlong。"
"DoyoumeanthatMonsieurThuillierwillsendmeaway？Hemusthavereasonsfordoingthat，and，thankGod！Ihavebeenawifeabovereproach。"
"Viper！hypocrite！heartlesscreature！"criedBrigitte，comingtoanendofherarguments。
"Sister，"saidMadameThuillier，"youareinmyapartment——"
"AmI，youimbecile？"criedtheoldmaid，inaparoxysmofanger。"IfIdidn’trestrainmyself——"
Andshemadeagesturebothinsultingandthreatening。
MadameThuillierrosetoleavetheroom。
"No！youshallnotgoout，"criedBrigitte，pushingherdownintoherchair；"andtillThuilliercomeshomeanddecideswhathewilldowithyouyou’llstaylockeduphere。"
JustasBrigitte，herfaceonfire，returnedtotheroomwhereshehadleftMadameColleville，herbrothercamein。Hewasradiant。
"Mydear，"hesaidtotheMegaera，notobservingherfury，"everythingisgoingonfinely；theconspiracyofsilenceisbroken；twopapers，the’National’andaCarlistjournal，havecopiedarticlesfromus，andthere’salittleattackinaministerialpaper。"
"Well，allisnotgoingonfinelyhere，"saidBrigitte，"andifitcontinues，Ishallleavethebarrack。"
"Whomareyouangrywithnow？"askedThuillier。
"Withyourinsolentwife，whohasmademeascene；Iamtremblingallover。"
"Celestemakeyouascene！"saidThuillier；"thenitistheveryfirsttimeinherlife。"
"There’sabeginningtoeverything，andifyoudon’tbringhertoorder——"
"Butwhatwasitabout——thisscene？"
"Aboutmadame’snotchoosingthatlaPeyradeshouldmarryhergoddaughter；andoutofspite，topreventthemarriage，sherefusedtogiveanythinginthecontract。"
"Come，becalm，"saidThuillier，notdisturbedhimself，theadmissionofthe"Echo"intothepolemicmakinganotherPanglossofhim。"I’llsettleallthat。"
"You，Flavie，"saidBrigitte，whenThuillierhaddepartedtohiswife，"youwilldomethepleasuretogodowntoyourownapartment，andtellMademoiselleCelestethatIdon’tchoosetoseehernow，becauseifshemademeanyirritatinganswerImightboxherears。You’lltellherthatIdon’tlikeconspiracies；thatshewasleftatlibertytochooseMonsieurPhellionjuniorifshewantedhim，andshedidnotwanthim；thatthematterisnowallarranged，andthatifshedoesnotwishtoseeher’dot’reducedtowhatyouareabletogiveher，whichisn’tasmuchasabank—messengercouldcarryinhiswaistcoatpocket——"
"But，mydearBrigitte，"interruptedFlavie，turninguponheratthisimpertinence，"youmaydispensewithremindingusinthisharshwayofourpoverty；for，afterall，wehaveneveraskedyouforanything，andwepayourrentpunctually；andasforthe’dot，’MonsieurFelixPhellionisquitereadytotakeCelestewithnomorethanabank—
messengercouldcarryinhisBAG。"
Andsheemphasizedthelastwordbyherwayofpronouncingit。
"Ha！soyoutooaregoingtomeddleinthis，areyou？"criedBrigitte。
"Verygood；goandfetchhim，yourFelix。Iknow，mylittlewoman，thatthismarriagehasneversuitedyou；itISdisagreeabletobenothingmorethanamothertoyourson—in—law。"
Flaviehadrecoveredthecoolnessshehadlostforaninstant，andwithoutreplyingtothisspeechshemerelyshruggedhershoulders。
AtthismomentThuillierreturned；hisairofbeatitudehaddesertedhim。
"MydearBrigitte，"hesaidtohissister，"youhaveamostexcellentheart，butattimesyouaresoviolent——"
"Ho！"saidtheoldmaid，"amItobearraignedonthissidetoo？"
"Icertainlydonotblameyouforthecauseofthetrouble，andIhavejustrebukedCelesteforherassumption；butthereareproperformsthatmustbekept。"
"Forms！whatareyoutalkingabout？WhatformshaveIneglected？"
"But，mydearfriend，toraiseyourhandagainstyoursister！"
"I，raisemyhandagainstthatimbecile？Whatnonsenseyoutalk！"
"Andbesides，"continuedThuillier，"awomanofCeleste’sagecan’tbekeptinprison。"
"Yourwife！——haveIputherinprison？"
"Youcan’tdenyit，forIfoundthedoorofherroomdouble—locked。"
"Parbleu！allthisbecauseinmyangerattheinfamousthingsshewasspittingatmeImayhaveturnedthekeyofthedoorwithoutintendingit。"
"Come，come，"saidThuillier，"thesearenotproperactionsforpeopleofourclass。"
"Oh！soitisIwhoamtoblame，isit？Well，mylad，somedayyou’llrememberthis，andweshallseehowyourhouseholdwillgetalongwhenIhavestoppedtakingcareofit。"
"You’llalwaystakecareofit，"saidThuillier。"Housekeepingisyourverylife；youwillbethefirsttogetoverthisaffair。"
"We’llseeaboutthat，"saidBrigitte；"aftertwentyyearsofdevotion，tobetreatedlikethelowestofthelow！"
Andrushingtothedoor，whichsheslammedafterherwithviolence，shewentaway。
Thuillierwasnotdisturbedbythisexit。
"Wereyouthere，Flavie，"heasked，"whenthescenetookplace？"
"No，ithappenedinCeleste’sroom。Whatdidshedotoher？"
"WhatIsaid，——raisedherhandtoherandlockedherinlikeachild。
Celestemaycertainlyberatherdull—minded，buttherearelimitsthatmustnotbepassed。"
"Sheisnotalwayspleasant，thatgoodBrigitte，"saidFlavie；"sheandIhavejusthadalittleset—to。"
"Oh，well，"saidThuillier，"itwillallpassoff。Iwanttotellyou，mydearFlavie，whatfinesuccesswehavehadthismorning。The’National’quotestwowholeparagraphsofanarticleinwhichtherewereseveralsentencesofmine。"
Thuillierwasagaininterruptedinthetaleofhisgreatpoliticalandliterarysuccess，——thistimebytheentranceofJosephinethecook。
"Canmonsieurtellmewheretofindthekeyofthegreattrunk？"shesaid。
"Whatdoyouwantwithit？"askedThuillier。
"Mademoiselletoldmetotakeittoherroom。"
"Whatfor？"
"Mademoisellemustbegoingtomakeajourney。Sheisgettingherlinenoutofthedrawers，andhergownsareonthebed。"
"Anotherpieceofnonsense！"saidThuillier。"Flavie，goandseewhatshehasinherhead。"
"NotI，"saidMadameColleville；"goyourself。Inherpresentstateofexasperationshemightbeatme。"
"A
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