When he thought himself alone he flew into the fury of a choleric man; the strangest blasphemies escaped his lips, in which Ursula's name was mingled with odious language.
"Why, what has she done to you ?" cried Zelie, who had slipped in on tiptoe after seeing the abbe out of the house.
For the first and only time in his life, Minoret, drunk with anger and driven to extremities by his wife's reiterated questions, turned upon her and beat her so violently that he was obliged, when she fell half-dead on the floor, to take her in his arms and put her to bed himself, ashamed of his act.

He was taken ill and the doctor bled him twice; when he appeared again in the streets everybody noticed a great change in him.

He walked alone, and often roamed the town as though uneasy.

When any one addressed him he seemed preoccupied in his mind, he who had never before had two ideas in his head.

At last, one evening, he went up to Monsieur Bongrand in the Grand'Rue, the latter being on his way to take Ursula to Madame de Portenduere's, where the whist parties had begun again.
"Monsieur Bongrand, I have something important to say to my cousin," he said, taking the justice by the arm, "and I am very glad you should be present, for you can advise her." They found Ursula studying; she rose, with a cold and dignified air, as soon as she saw Minoret.
"My child, Monsieur Minoret wants to speak to you on a matter of business," said Bongrand.