She appeared to be pondering deeply.
"You are an intelligent woman," he continued, in order to flatter her, "I did wrong in keeping any secret from you; I see it now." "Let us say nothing more about that," she replied.

"In my opinion, if you had enough courage----" And as he looked at her eagerly, she broke off and said, with a smile: "But you promise not to distrust me any more?
You will tell me everything, eh?
You will do nothing without consulting me ?" He swore, and accepted the most rigid conditions.

Felicite then got into bed; and in a whisper, as if she feared somebody might hear them, she explained at length her plan of campaign.

In her opinion the town must be allowed to fall into still greater panic, while Pierre was to maintain an heroic demeanour in the midst of the terrified inhabitants.
A secret presentiment, she said, warned her that the insurgents were still at a distance.

Moreover, the party of order would sooner or later carry the day, and the Rougons would be rewarded.