Lazare suddenly turned towards her.
'Well, what is it you want?' he asked.
'You don't happen to know where she keeps her money, do you?'
'No!'
'I dare say it's in her chest of drawers. You might just look.'
He refused with an angry gesture, and his hands quivered.
'I beseech you, mother, for pity's sake, do go away.'
These last remarks had been hurriedly exchanged at the far end of the room. There was a moment's painful silence, which was broken by a clear voice speaking from the bed:
'Lazare, just come and take the key from under my pillow, and give my aunt what she wants.'
They were both quite startled. Lazare began to protest, for he was very unwilling to open the drawer; but he was obliged to give way in order that he might not distress Pauline. When he had given his mother a hundred-franc note, and had slipped the key under Pauline's pillow again, he saw that the girl was taken with another trembling-fit, which shook her like a young aspen, and seemed likely to rend her in twain. Two big tears trickled from her closed eyes and rolled down her cheeks.