ionate, ready for any violence as he was, what was he meditating, what had he made up his mind to do? There was no sound in the house, and every moment she looked at the clock. Her lady's maid had c

count c

omtesse. He is in

ll the children would be there, and she took nothing except a bottle of smelling salts. He rose somewhat ceremoniously from his chair. They exchanged a slight bow and sat down. The three boys with their

e count scrutinized now the three boys and now the three girls with an uncertain, unhappy expression, which travelled from one to the other. Suddenly pushing his wineglass from him, it broke, and the wine was spilt on the tablecloth, and at the slight noise caused b

deas and did not bring out a word. The countess, with feminine tact and obeying her instincts of a woman of the world, attempted to answer him two or three times, but in vain. She could not fin

ard: "Here, amid your children, will you swear

h she had replied to his looks, she raised both her hands, the right pointing toward the boys and the left toward the girls, and

then went out without another word, while she, uttering a deep sigh, as if after a first victory, went on in a calm voice: "You must not pay any

tender, pretty words for all her children, those sw

following her. She made the elder ones chatter, and when their bedtime

would protect her life, and in the pocket of her dress she put the little loaded revolver which she had bought a few days previously. The hours went by, the hours struck, and

ready for anything, and almost triumphant, for she had found me

oke to the fact, with much amazement, that he was not coming. Having locked and bolted her door, for greater security, she went to bed at

e told her that he was going to undertake a longish journey and in a postscript added that