It was cowardly of him to take advantage of his superior strength! She had experienced very real terror all the same, so terrible had that quaint mask of Fontan's become.

And her anger began dwindling down as though the blow had calmed her.

She began to feel respect toward him and accordingly squeezed herself against the wall in order to leave him as much room as possible.

She even ended by going to sleep, her cheek tingling, her eyes full of tears and feeling so deliciously depressed and wearied and submissive that she no longer noticed the crumbs.

When she woke up in the morning she was holding Fontain in her naked arms and pressing him tightly against her breast.