She approached him. "On my account? How?"
He threw himself passionately into an armchair and exclaimed: "He has insulted me—no need to say any more about it."
But she would know. "You must repeat to me the words he used about me."
Lesable blushed, and then stammered: "He told me—he told me—it was in regard to your sterility."
She gave a start; then recoiling in fury, the paternal rudeness showing through the woman's nature, she burst out:
"I! I am sterile, am I? What does that clown know about it? Sterile with you, yes; because you are not a man. But if I had married another, no matter who, do you hear? I should have had children. Ah, you had better talk! It has cost me dear to have married a softy like you! And what did you reply to this good-for-nothing?"
Lesable, frightened before this storm, stuttered: "I—I slapped his face."
She looked at him in astonishment.
"And what did he do?"
"He sent me a challenge; that was all."