But Aunt Dide, who had listened with a sort of delight to Silvere's vehement language, laid her withered hand on her son's arm.

"Get out of the way, Pierre," she said; "the lad must go." The young man gave his uncle a slight shove, and dashed outside.

Then Rougon, having carefully shut the door again, said to his mother in an angry, threatening tone: "If any mischief happens to him it will be your fault.

You're an old mad-woman; you don't know what you've just done." Adelaide, however, did not appear to hear him.

She went and threw some vine-branches on the fire, which was going out, and murmured with a vague smile: "I'm used to it.