Reine offered to conduct them there. She again came to the house, and knew how to make herself liked by her caressing ways.
Victorine suddenly changed, became shy, honey-tongued, knelt down before the Madonna, admired the sacrifice of Abraham, and sneered disdainfully at the name of Protestant.
She said that fasting had been enjoined upon her. They made inquiries: it was not true. On the feast of Corpus Christi some damask violets disappeared from one of the flower-beds to decorate the processional altar: she impudently denied having cut them. At another time she took from Bouvard twenty sous, which she placed at vesper-time in the sacristan’s collecting-plate.
They drew from this the conclusion that morality is distinguishable from religion; when it has not another basis, its importance is secondary.
One evening, while they were dining, M. Marescot entered. Victor fled immediately.
The notary, having declined to sit down, told what had brought him there.
Young Touache had beaten—all but killed—his son. As Victor’s origin was known, and as he was unpopular, the other brats called him “Convict,” and not long since he had given Master Arnold Marescot a drubbing, which was an insult. “Dear Arnold” bore the marks of it on his body.
“His mother is in despair, his clothes are in rags, his health is imperilled. What are we coming to?”
The notary insisted on severe chastisement, and, amongst other things, on Victor being henceforth kept away from catechism, to prevent fresh collisions.
Bouvard and Pécuchet, although wounded by his haughty tone, promised everything he wished—yielded.