Since the impotent woman had been struck down, she had never
moved her hands.
"Hey! Just look, Therese," cried Michaud. "Madame Raquin is agitating
her fingers. She probably wants something."
Therese could not reply. Both she and Laurent had been following the
exertion of the paralysed woman, and she was now looking at the hand
of her aunt, which stood out wan in the raw light of the lamp, like
an avenging hand that was about to speak. The two murderers waited,
breathless.
"Of course," said Grivet, "she wants something. Oh! We thoroughly
understand one another. She wants to play dominoes. Eh! Isn't it so,
dear lady?"
Madame Raquin made a violent sign indicating that she wanted nothing of
the kind. She extended one finger, folded up the others with infinite
difficulty, and began to painfully trace letters on the table cover.
She had barely indicated a stroke or two, when Grivet again exclaimed in
triumph:
"I understand; she says I do right to play the double-six."
The impotent woman cast a terrible glance at the old clerk, and returned
to the word she wished to write. But Grivet interrupted her at every
moment, declaring it was needless, that he understood, and he then
brought out some stupidity.
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