"Rubbish!" exclaimed one of the convives. "A relative? Humbug!"
I nearly committed a murder then. I had every intention to ... but the thought of leaving my children without father and mother arrested my arm.
When the company had left I had a scene with Marie.
"Prostitute!"
"Why?"
"Because you submit to being treated like one."
"Are you jealous?"
"Yes, I am jealous; jealous of my honour, the dignity of my family, the reputation of my wife, the future of my children! It is because of your unworthy conduct that we are ostracised by all decent women. To allow a stranger to kiss you in public! Don't you realise that you are mad, that you neither see, nor hear, nor understand what you are doing, that you are absolutely devoid of all sense of duty? I shall have you shut up if you don't mend your ways, and, to begin with, I forbid you to have anything more to do with those two women!"
"It's all your fault! You egged me on!"
"I wanted to see how far you would go!"