He spoke harshly to her and tried to break down her will.
"You are mad!" he said. "You might have blown the house to pieces!"
"I wanted to," she said angrily.
He tried to play on her religious fears: that was the right note. As soon as he touched on it she began to scream and to beg him to stop. He went on pitilessly, thinking that it was the only means of bringing her back to the desire to live. She said nothing more, but lay sobbing convulsively. When he had done, she said in a tone of intense hatred:
"Are you satisfied now? You've done your work well. You've brought me to despair. And now, what am I to do?"
"Live," he said.
"Live!" she cried. "You don't know how impossible it is! You know nothing! You know nothing!"
He asked:
"What is it?"
She shrugged her shoulders:
"Listen."