“No. Oh, how you hurt me!”
Savin dropped her arm and pushed her toward the pathway.
“Come, let us go,” said he.
Catherine, humiliated and angry, did not resist. Without once turning her head, Madame Barrau walked away, bewildered and wretched.
No one had thought of interfering between the man and wife. Country people, as a rule, have great respect for strength and authority. Savin’s behavior seemed to them quite the natural sequence of Catherine’s.
A profound silence reigned for several minutes. By tacit consent all waited until the gamekeeper and his wife were beyond hearing, and then soon enough each tongue began to wag. Catherine was very pretty, and therefore could not escape calumny. More than one venomous smile was to be seen on the lips of her enemies.
“Did you see what a look she gave him when they started?”
“And how vexed she was because he came?”
“She could have strangled him,” said Andoche, wickedly.
“Poor Barrau! how sad!”