The most insignificant error, the least unusual noise, drew from her a vile insult that struck into the soul, but no one answered her, for to excuse oneself would have been an additional fault.
So the day passed.

Not encountering any obstacle that would block her way,--her husband had been invited out,--she became saturated with bile, the cells of her whole organism seemed to become charged with electricity which threatened to burst in a storm of hate.

Everything about her folded up as do the flowers at the first breath of the hurricane, so she met with no resistance nor found any point or high place to discharge her evil humor.

The soldiers and servants kept away from her.

That she might not hear the sounds of rejoicing outside she had ordered the windows closed and charged the sentinel to let no one enter.