“Is there any hereditary lunacy in the family?” said Bianchon, addressing Larabit.
The doctors departed, leaving a hospital attendant, instructed by them, to watch Madame Hulot.
“A whole life of virtue!——” was the only sentence the sufferer had spoken since the attack.
Lisbeth never left Adeline’s bedside; she sat up all night, and was much admired by the two younger women.
“Well, my dear Madame de Saint-Esteve,” said Victorin, showing the dreadful old woman into his study and carefully shutting the doors, “how are we getting on?”
“Ah, ha! my dear friend,” said she, looking at Victorin with cold irony. “So you have thought things over?”
“Have you done anything?”
“Will you pay fifty thousand francs?”
“Yes,” replied Victorin, “for we must get on. Do you know that by one single phrase that woman has endangered my mother’s life and reason? So, I say, get on.”
“We have got on!” replied the old woman.