"
At this, Josephine leaned her face on her hands on the doctor's
shoulder. In this attitude she murmured to him, "I have never seen him
since I left Frejus." Dr. Aubertin sighed for her. Emboldened by this,
she announced her intention of going to Frejus the very next day to
see her little Henri. But to this Dr. Aubertin demurred. "What,
another journey to Frejus?" said he, "when the first has already roused
Edouard's suspicions; I can never consent to that."
Then Josephine surprised them both. She dropped her coaxing voice and
pecked the doctor like an irritated pigeon. "Take care," said she,
"don't be too cruel to me. You see I am obedient, resigned. I have given
up all I lived for: but if I am never to have my little boy's arms round
me to console me, then--why torment me any longer? Why not say to me,
'Josephine, you have offended Heaven; pray for pardon, and die'?"
Then the doctor was angry in his turn. "Oh, go then," said he, "go to
Frejus; you will have Edouard Riviere for a companion this time. Your
first visit roused his suspicions. So before you go tell your mother
all; for since she is sure to find it out, she had better hear it from
you than from another.
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