He had taken out his handkerchief, and when Flavie tried to move it from his face it was heavy with tears.
"But what is the matter ?" she asked; "what ails you ?" Nature, more impressive than art, served Theodose well; no longer was he playing a part; he was himself; this nervous crisis and these tears were the winding up of his preceding scenes of acted comedy.
"You are a child," she said, in a gentle voice, stroking his hair softly.
"I have but you, you only, in all the world!" he replied, kissing her hands with a sort of passion; "and if you are true to me, if you are mine, as the body belongs to the soul and the soul to the body, then--" he added, recovering himself with infinite grace, "_Then_ I can have courage." He rose, and walked about the room.
"Yes, I will struggle; I will recover my strength, like Antaeus, from a fall; I will strangle with my own hands the serpents that entwine me, that kiss with serpent kisses, that slaver my cheeks, that suck my blood, my honor! Oh, misery! oh, poverty! Oh, how great are they who can stand erect and carry high their heads! I had better have let myself die of hunger, there, on my wretched pallet, three and a half years ago! A coffin is a softer bed to lie in than the life I lead! It is eighteen months that I have _fed on bourgeois_! and now, at the moment of attaining an honest, fortunate life, a magnificent future, at the moment when I was about to sit down to the social banquet, the executioner strikes me on the shoulder! Yes, the monster! he struck me there, on my shoulder, and said to me: 'Pay thy dues to the devil, or die!' And shall I not crush them?
Shall I not force my arm down their throats to their very entrails?
Yes, yes, I will, I will! See, Flavie, my eyes are dry now.

Ha, ha! now I laugh; I feel my strength come back to me; power is mine! Oh! say that you love me; say it again! At this moment it sounds like the word 'Pardon' to the man condemned to death!" "You are terrible, my friend!" cried Flavie.

"Oh! you are killing me." She understood nothing of all this, but she fell upon the sofa, exhausted by the spectacle.

Theodose flung himself at her feet.
"Forgive me! forgive me!" he said.
"But what is the matter?
what is it ?" she asked again.
"They are trying to destroy me.

Oh! promise to give me Celeste, and you shall see what a glorious life I will make you share.