And when he had asked for
Madame de Jonquiere at the door of the Sainte-Honorine Ward he became yet
more anxious, for the news was by no means good. The young girl, said the
superintendent, had not even opened her mouth. She would answer nobody,
and had even refused to eat. Madame de Jonquiere, insisted therefore that
Pierre should come in. True, the presence of men was forbidden in the
women's wards at night-time, but then a priest is not a man.
"She only cares for you and will only listen to you," said the worthy
lady. "Pray come in and sit down near her till Abbe Judaine arrives. He
will come at about one in the morning to administer the communion to our
more afflicted sufferers, those who cannot move and who have to eat at
daybreak. You will be able to assist him."
Pierre thereupon followed Madame de Jonquiere, who installed him at the
head of Marie's bed. "My dear child," she said to the girl, "I have
brought you somebody who is very fond of you. You will be able to chat
with him, and you will be reasonable now, won't you?"
Marie, however, on recognising Pierre, gazed at him with an air of
exasperated suffering, a black, stern expression of revolt.
"Would you like him to read something to you," resumed Madame de
Jonquiere, "something that would ease and console you as he did in the
train? No? It wouldn't interest you, you don't care for it? Well, we will
see by-and-by. I will leave him with you, and I am sure you will be quite
reasonable again in a few minutes.
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