And she said to herself that it would be cowardly to die, that she had no right to go away before she had seen the end of the sinister adventure.

Then, only, could she descend into darkness, to say to Camille: "You are avenged." The idea of suicide became oppressive, when she all at once reflected that she would sink into the grave ignorant as to what had happened to the two murderers of her son.

There, she would lie in the cold and silent earth, eternally tormented by uncertainty concerning the punishment of her tormentors.

To thoroughly enjoy the slumber of death, she must be hushed to rest by the sweet delight of vengeance, she must carry away with her a dream of satisfied hatred, a dream that would last throughout eternity.

So she took the food her niece presented to her, and consented to live on.
Apart from this, it was easy for her to perceive that the climax could not be far off.