illness. For le tout petit Loup ignored him completely,
twisting the medals this way and that, in order that he
might admire their effect: 'I have said ... do not do
it. . . the ribbons will break. Put them down. I have
said . . . put them down/ stammered Jouse.
Then quite suddenly Christophe could bear it no
longer. Swinging round he grasped Loup's shoulder
and shook him: 'Will you give me those medals?5
CI will not!* Loup snapped.
cBut I say that you must.3
'And I say I will not!'
eAh, bon, I shall have to take them/ frowned
Christophe, dumping his brother onto a chair and
proceeding forthwith to unfasten the medals.
A fine hubbub to break out around a man's ears!
Loup yelled as though he were being murdered:
'BestiP he yelled as he struggled and fought, working
himself into one of his rages, 'Besti!3 And he managed
to slap Christophers face with all the strength that his
weak arm could muster.
Hit him back? Christophe dared not hit such a
wisp. He was cowed, as Jouse had been, by Loup's
weakness. All he could do was to rub his cheek; half
angry, half pitiful, half amused: clt would seem that
your muscles improve/ he murmured.
And meanwhile Anfos had started to moan, slowly
and rhythmically rocking his body as though he were
keeping time to the dirge of his long-drawn-out and
lugubrious moaning.
Marie clasped her hands in a kind of despair:
'Boudieu! what a way to behave —what a wayj
Loup, I command you, be silent this instant!5
But le tout petit Loup continued to storm, though
his fury had brought on a fit of coughing: CI think
I will hit him again/ he choked, glaring defiantly at
his mother.
A fine hubbub to break out around a man's ears!
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