Nothing in the world would have induced Pierre to live with her any longer.

She was compromising him; it was with her that he would have liked to make a start.

But he found himself between two very embarrassing alternatives: to keep her, and thus, in a measure, share her disgrace, and bind a fetter to his feet which would arrest him in his ambitious flight; or to turn her out, with the certainty of being pointed at as a bad son, which would have robbed him of the reputation for good nature which he desired.

Knowing that he would be in want of everybody, he desired to secure an untarnished name throughout Plassans.

There was but one method to adopt, namely, to induce Adelaide to leave of her own accord.