Mauprat was upon her before she could recover herself, had caught her by the shoulder, and set her upon her feet.
His face was ghastly with rage.
"You infernal little fiend!" he panted, the oaths falling thick and fast, "I'll give you now a taste of the punishment that will come from that sort of thing if you try it in the future!"
He raised a heavy walking-stick and brought it down again and again upon the frail shoulders with terrible force.
The woman and the miserable hunchback boy who had caused the accident, stood shrinking back in the corner as far as possible, ghastly with fear, until unable to stand it longer, the woman caught the man's arm and held it in a grasp like iron.
"Stop!" she cried hoarsely, "You don't know what you are doing! She is not used to that sort of thing, and you will kill her!"
Mauprat turned to the woman with a savage growl.
He released his hold upon Leonie, who fell without a groan to the floor.
"Take what your interference warrants!" he cried, bringing the stick down with renewed force upon the body of the woman.
She took it without a moan, the boy covering his miserable face with his hands.