Above all, the doctor's promise comforted her: that she should go to Paris with him, and have her boy.
This deceitful calm of the heart lasted three days.
Carefully encouraged by Rose, it was destroyed by Jacintha.
Jacintha, conscious that she had betrayed her trust, was almost heart-broken.

She was ashamed to appear before her young mistress, and, coward-like, wanted to avoid knowing even how much harm she had done.
She pretended toothache, bound up her face, and never stirred from the kitchen.

But she was not to escape: the other servant came down with a message: "Madame Raynal wanted to see her directly." She came quaking, and found Josephine all alone.
Josephine rose to meet her, and casting a furtive glance round the room first, threw her arms round Jacintha's neck, and embraced her with many tears.
"Was ever fidelity like yours?
how COULD you do it, Jacintha?
and how can I ever repay it?
But, no; it is too base of me to accept such a sacrifice from any woman." Jacintha was so confounded she did not know what to say.

But it was a mystification that could not endure long between two women, who were both deceived by a third.

Between them they soon discovered that it must have been Rose who had sacrificed herself.
"And Edouard has never been here since," said Josephine.
"And never will, madame." "Yes, he shall! there must be some limit even to my feebleness, and my sister's devotion.