You'll tell me what you think of it!" Nanteuil had remained behind in the doctor's consulting room.
"My little Socrates, I have spent an awful night.

I saw him." "During your sleep ?" "No, when wide awake." "You are sure you were not sleeping ?" "Quite sure." He was on the point of asking her if the apparition had spoken to her.
But he left the question unspoken, fearing lest he might suggest to so sensitive a subject those hallucinations of the sense of hearing, which, by reason of their imperious nature, he dreaded far more than visual hallucinations.

He was familiar with the docility of the sick in obeying orders given them by voices.

Abandoning the idea of questioning Felicie, he resolved, at all hazards, to remove any scruples of conscience which might be troubling her.

At the same time, having observed that, generally speaking, the sense of moral responsibility is weak in women, he made no great effort in that direction, and contented himself with remarking lightly: "My dear child, you must not consider yourself responsible for the death of that poor fellow.