"And so, Guillaume ?" she asked.
Pierre then told the truth in simple fashion: that his brother's wrist had been injured; that he himself had witnessed the accident, and that his brother had then sought an asylum with him at Neuilly, where he wished to remain and get cured of his injury in peace and quietness, without even receiving a visit from his sons.

While speaking in this fashion, the priest watched the effect of his words on Marie's face: first fright and pity, and then an effort to calm herself and judge things reasonably.
"His letter quite froze me last night," she ended by replying.

"I felt sure that some misfortune had happened.

But one must be brave and hide one's fear from others.

His wrist injured, you say; it is not a serious injury, is it ?" "No; but it is necessary that every precaution should be taken with it." She looked him well in the face with her big frank eyes, which dived into his own as if to reach the very depths of his being, though at the same time she plainly sought to restrain the score of questions which rose to her lips.