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〃Ernest went out and saw his mother standing in the next room。
〃 'Ernest；' said she； 'come here。'
〃She sat down； drew her son to her knees； and clasped him in her arms；
and held him tightly to her heart。
〃 'Ernest； your father said something to you just now。'
〃 'Yes； mamma。'
〃 'What did he say？'
〃 'I cannot repeat it； mamma。'
〃 'Oh； my dear child！' cried the Countess； kissing him in rapture。
'You have kept your secret； how glad that makes me！ Never tell a lie；
never fail to keep your wordthose are two principles which should
never be forgotten。'
〃 'Oh！ mamma； how beautiful you are！ YOU have never told a lie； I am
quite sure。'
〃 'Once or twice； Ernest dear； I have lied。 Yes； and I have not kept
my word under circumstances which speak louder than all precepts。
Listen； my Ernest； you are big enough and intelligent enough to see
that your father drives me away； and will not allow me to nurse him；
and this is not natural； for you know how much I love him。'
〃 'Yes； mamma。'
〃The Countess began to cry。 'Poor child！' she said； 'this misfortune
is the result of treacherous insinuations。 Wicked people have tried to
separate me from your father to satisfy their greed。 They mean to take
all our money from us and to keep it for themselves。 If your father
were well； the division between us would soon be over； he would listen
to me； he is loving and kind； he would see his mistake。 But now his
mind is affected； and his prejudices against me have become a fixed
idea； a sort of mania with him。 It is one result of his illness。 Your
father's fondness for you is another proof that his mind is deranged。
Until he fell ill you never noticed that he loved you more than
Pauline and Georges。 It is all caprice with him now。 In his affection
for you he might take it into his head to tell you to do things for
him。 If you do not want to ruin us all； my darling； and to see your
mother begging her bread like a pauper woman； you must tell her
everything'
〃 'Ah！' cried the Count。 He had opened the door and stood there； a
sudden； half…naked apparition； almost as thin and fleshless as a
skeleton。
〃His smothered cry produced a terrible effect upon the Countess； she
sat motionless； as if a sudden stupor had seized her。 Her husband was
as white and wasted as if he had risen out of his grave。
〃 'You have filled my life to the full with trouble； and now you are
trying to vex my deathbed； to warp my boy's mind； and make a depraved
man of him！' he cried； hoarsely。
〃The Countess flung herself at his feet。 His face； working with the
last emotions of life； was almost hideous to see。
〃 'Mercy！ mercy！' she cried aloud； shedding a torrent of tears。
〃 'Have you shown me any pity？' he asked。 'I allowed you to squander
your own money； and now do you mean to squander my fortune； too； and
ruin my son？'
〃 'Ah！ well； yes； have no pity for me； be merciless to me！' she cried。
'But the children？ Condemn your widow to live in a convent； I will
obey you； I will do anything； anything that you bid me； to expiate the
wrong I have done you； if that so the children may be happy！ The
children！ Oh； the children！'
〃 'I have only one child；' said the Count； stretching out a wasted
arm； in his despair； towards his son。
〃 'Pardon a penitent woman； a penitent woman！ 。 。 。' wailed the
Countess； her arms about her husband's damp feet。 She could not speak
for sobbing； vague； incoherent sounds broke from her parched throat。
〃 'You dare to talk of penitence after all that you said to Ernest！'
exclaimed the dying man； shaking off the Countess； who lay groveling
over his feet。'You turn me to ice！' he added； and there was
something appalling in the indifference with which he uttered the
words。 'You have been a bad daughter； you have been a bad wife； you
will be a bad mother。'
〃The wretched woman fainted away。 The dying man reached his bed and
lay down again； and a few hours later sank into unconsciousness。 The
priests came and administered the sacraments。
〃At midnight he died； the scene that morning had exhausted his
remaining strength； and on the stroke of midnight I arrived with Daddy
Gobseck。 The house was in confusion； and under cover of it we walked
up into the little salon adjoining the death…chamber。 The three
children were there in tears； with two priests； who had come to watch
with the dead。 Ernest came over to me； and said that his mother
desired to be alone in the Count's room。
〃 'Do not go in；' he said； and I admired the child for his tone and
gesture； 'she is praying there。'
〃Gobseck began to laugh that soundless laugh of his； but I felt too
much touched by the feeling in Ernest's little face to join in the
miser's sardonic amusement。 When Ernest saw that we moved towards the
door； he planted himself in front of it； crying out； 'Mamma； here are
some gentlemen in black who want to see you。！'
〃Gobseck lifted Ernest out of the way as if the child had been a
feather； and opened the door。
〃What a scene it was that met our eyes！ The room was in frightful
disorder； clothes and papers and rags lay tossed about in a confusion
horrible to see in the presence of Death； and there； in the midst；
stood the Countess in disheveled despair； unable to utter a word； her
eyes glittering。 The Count had scarcely breathed his last before his
wife came in and forced open the drawers and the desk； the carpet was
strewn with litter； some of the furniture and boxes were broken； the
signs of violence could be seen everywhere。 But if her search had at
first proved fruitless； there was that in her excitement and attitude
which led me to believe that she had found the mysterious documents at
last。 I glanced at the bed； and professional instinct told me all that
had happened。 The mattress had been flung contemptuously down by the
bedside； and across it； face downwards； lay the body of the Count；
like one of the paper envelopes that strewed the carpethe too was
nothing now but an envelope。 There was something grotesquely horrible
in the attitude of the stiffening rigid limbs。
〃The dying man must have hidden the counter…deed under his pillow to
keep it safe so long as life should last； and his wife must have
guessed his thought； indeed； it might be read plainly in his last
dying gesture； in the convulsive clutch of his claw…like hands。 The
pillow had been flung to the floor at the foot of the bed； I could see
the print of her heel upon it。 At her feet lay a paper with the
Count's arms on the seals； I snatched it up； and saw that it was
addressed to me。 I looked steadily at the Countess with the pitiless
clear…sightedness of an examining magistrate confronting a guilty
creature。 The contents were blazing in the grate； she had flung them
on the fire at the sound of our approach； imagining； from a first
hasty glance at the provisions which I had suggested for her children；
that she was destroying a will which disinherited them。 A tormented
conscience and involuntary horror of the deed which she had done had
taken away all power of reflection。 She had been caught in the act；
and possibly the scaffold was rising before her eyes； and she already
felt the felon's branding iron。
〃There she stood gasping for breath； waiting for us to speak； staring
at us with haggard eyes。
〃I went across to the grate and pulled out an unburned fragment。 'Ah；
madame！' I exclaimed； 'you have ruined your children！ Those papers
were their titles to their property。'
〃Her mouth twitched； she looked as if she were threatened by a
paralytic seizure。
〃 'Eh！ eh！' cried Gobseck； the harsh； shrill tone grated upon our ears
like the sound of a brass candlestick scratching a marble surface。
〃There was a pause； then the old man turned to me and said quietly：
〃 'Do you intend Mme。 la Comtesse to suppose that I am not the
rightful owner of the property sold to me by her late husband？ This
house belongs to me now。'
〃A sudden blow on the head from a bludgeon would have given me less
pain and astonishment。 The Countess saw the look of hesitation in my
face。
〃 'Monsieur；' she cried； 'Monsieur！' She could find no other words。
〃 'You are a trustee； are you not？' I asked。
〃 'That is possible。'
〃 'Then do you mean to take advantage of this crime of hers？'
〃 'Precisely。'
〃I went at that； leaving the Countess sitting by her husband's
bedside； shedding hot tears。 Gobseck followed me。 Outside in the
street I separated from him； but he came after me； flung me one of
those searching glances with which he probed men's minds； and said in
the husky flute…tones； pitched in a shriller key：
〃 'Do you take it upon yourself to judge me？'
〃From that time forward we saw little of each other。 Gobseck let the
Count's mansion on lease； he spent the summers on the country estates。
He was a lord