During the ensuing months Mathieu often found himself alone with Constance, but she never reverted to the subject.  She seemed to set her energy on forgetting all about it, though he divined that it still haunted her.  Meantime things went from bad to worse in the Beauchene household.  The husband gradually went back to his former life of debauchery, in spite of all the efforts of Constance to keep him near her.  She, for her part, clung to her fixed idea, and before long she consulted Boutan.  There was a terrible scene that day between husband and wife in the doctor’s presence.  Constance raked up the story of Norine and cast it in Beauchene’s teeth, while he upbraided her in a variety of ways.  However, Boutan’s advice, though followed for a time, proved unavailing, and she at last lost confidence in him.  Then she spent months and months in consulting one and another.  She placed herself in the hands of Madame Bourdieu, she even went to see La Rouche, she applied to all sorts of charlatans, exasperated to fury at finding that there was no real succor for her.  She might long ago have had a family had she so chosen.  But she had elected otherwise, setting all her egotism and pride on that only son whom death had snatched away; and now the motherhood she longed for was denied her.

For nearly two years did Constance battle, and at last in despair she was seized with the idea of consulting Dr. Gaude.  He told her the brutal truth; it was useless for her to address herself to charlatans; she would simply be robbed by them; there was absolutely no hope for her.  And Gaude uttered those decisive words in a light, jesting way, as though surprised and amused by her profound grief.  She almost fainted on the stairs as she left his flat, and for a moment indeed death seemed welcome.  But by a great effort of will she recovered self-possession, the courage to face the life of loneliness that now lay before her.  Moreover, another idea vaguely dawned upon her, and the first time she found herself alone with Mathieu she again spoke to him of Norine’s boy.

“Forgive me,” said she, “for reverting to a painful subject, but I am suffering too much now that I know there is no hope for me.  I am haunted by the thought of that illegitimate child of my husband’s.  Will you do me a great service?  Make the inquiry you once spoke to me about, try to find out if he is alive or dead.  I feel that when I know the facts peace may perhaps return to me.”

Mathieu was almost on the point of answering her that, even if this child were found again, it could hardly cure her of her grief at having no child of her own.  He had divined her agony at seeing Blaise take Maurice’s place at the works now that Beauchene had resumed his dissolute life, and daily intrusted the young man with more and more authority.  Blaise’s home was prospering too; Charlotte had now given birth to a second child, a boy, and thus fruitfulness was invading the place and usurpation becoming more and