The young man did not like cats, and Francois almost terrified him.

In this moment of excitement and alarm, he imagined the cat was about to fly in his face to avenge Camille.

He fancied the beast must know everything, that there were thoughts in his strangely dilated round eyes.

The fixed gaze of the animal caused Laurent to lower his lids.

As he was about to give Francois a kick, Therese exclaimed: "Don't hurt him." This sentence produced a strange impression on Laurent, and an absurd idea got into his head.
"Camille has entered into this cat," thought he.