Thattimidityoughttoexplainhischildhood，youth，andafter-lifetothosewhoarereluctanttoadmittheexistenceofsuchcharacters，orsuchfactsasthishistoryrelates，——thoughproofsofthemare，alas，commoneverywhere，evenamongprinces；forSophieDaweswastakenbythelastoftheCondesunderworsecircumstancesthantheRabouilleuse。Therearetwospeciesoftimidity，——thetimidityofthemind，andthetimidityofthenerves；aphysicaltimidity，andamoraltimidity。Theoneisindependentoftheother。Thebodymayfearandtremble，whilethemindiscalmandcourageous，orviceversa。Thisisthekeytomanymoraleccentricities。Whenthetwoareunitedinoneman，thatmanwillbeacipherallhislife；suchdouble-sidedtimiditymakeshimwhatwecall“animbecile。“Oftenfinesuppressedqualitiesarehiddenwithinthatimbecile。Tothisdoubleinfirmitywemay，perhaps，owethelivesofcertainmonkswholivedinecstasy；forthisunfortunatemoralandphysicaldispositionisproducedquiteasmuchbytheperfectionofthesoulandoftheorgans，asbydefectswhicharestillunstudied。
ThetimidityofJean-Jacquescamefromacertaintorporofhisfaculties，whichagreatteacheroragreatsurgeon，likeDespleins，wouldhaveroused。Inhim，asinthecretins，thesenseoflovehadinheritedastrengthandvigorwhichwerelackingtohismentalqualities，thoughhehadmindenoughtoguidehiminordinaryaffairs。
Theviolenceofpassion，strippedoftheidealinwhichmostyoungmenexpendit，onlyincreasedhistimidity。Hehadneverbroughthimselftocourt，asthesayingis，anywomaninIssoudun。Certainlynoyounggirlormatronwouldmakeadvancestoayoungmanofmeanstature，awkwardandshame-facedinattitude；whosevulgarface，withitsflattenedfeaturesandpallidskin，makinghimlookoldbeforehistime，wasrenderedstillmorehideousbyapairoflargeandprominentlight-greeneyes。Thepresenceofawomanstultifiedthepoorfellow，whowasdrivenbypassionontheonehandasviolentlyasthelackofideas，resultingfromhiseducation，heldhimbackontheother。
Paralyzedbetweentheseopposingforces，hehadnotawordtosay，andfearedtobespokento，somuchdidhedreadtheobligationofreplying。Desire，whichusuallysetsfreethetongue，onlypetrifiedhispowersofspeech。ThusithappenedthatJean-JacquesRougetwassolitaryandsoughtsolitudebecausetherealonehewasathisease。
Thedoctorhadseen，toolateforremedy，thehavocwroughtinhisson’slifebyatemperamentandacharacterofthiskind。Hewouldhavebeengladtogethimmarried；buttodothat，hemustdeliverhimovertoaninfluencethatwascertaintobecometyrannical，andthedoctorhesitated。Wasitnotpracticallygivingthewholemanagementofthepropertyintothehandsofastranger，someunknowngirl？Thedoctorknewhowdifficultitwastogaintrueindicationsofthemoralcharacterofawomanfromanystudyofayounggirl。So，whilehecontinuedtosearchforadaughter-in-lawwhosesentimentsandeducationofferedsomeguaranteesforthefuture，heendeavoredtopushhissonintothewaysofavarice；meaningtogivethepoorfoolasortofinstinctthatmighteventuallytaketheplaceofintelligence。
Hetrainedhim，inthefirstplace，tomechanicalhabitsoflife；andinstilledintohimfixedideasastotheinvestmentofhisrevenues:
andhesparedhimthechiefdifficultiesofthemanagementofafortune，byleavinghisestatesallingoodorder，andleasedforlongperiods。Nevertheless，afactwhichwasdestinedtobeofparamountimportanceinthelifeofthepoorcreatureescapedthenoticeofthewilyolddoctor。Timidityisagooddeallikedissimulation，andisequallysecretive。Jean-JacqueswaspassionatelyinlovewiththeRabouilleuse。Nothing，ofcourse，couldbemorenatural。Florewastheonlywomanwholivedinthebachelor’spresence，theonlyonehecouldseeathisease；andatallhourshesecretlycontemplatedherandwatchedher。Tohim，shewasthelightofhispaternalhome；shegavehim，unknowntoherself，theonlypleasuresthatbrightenedhisyouth。
Farfrombeingjealousofhisfather，herejoicedintheeducationtheoldmanwasgivingtoFlore:woulditnotmakeherallhewanted，awomaneasytowin，andtowhom，therefore，heneedpaynocourt？Thepassion，observe，whichisabletoreflect，giveseventoninnies，fools，andimbecilesaspeciesofintelligence，especiallyinyouth。
Inthelowesthumancreaturewefindananimalinstinctwhosepersistencyresemblesthought。
Thenextday，Flore，whohadbeenreflectingonhermaster’ssilence，waitedinexpectationofsomemomentouscommunication；butalthoughhekeptnearher，andlookedatherontheslywithpassionateglances，Jean-Jacquesstillfoundnothingtosay。Atlast，whenthedessertwasonthetable，herecommencedthesceneofthenightbefore。
“Youlikeyourlifehere？“hesaidtoFlore。
“Yes，MonsieurJean。“
“Well，stayherethen。“
“Thankyou，MonsieurJean。“
Thisstrangesituationlastedthreeweeks。Onenight，whennosoundbrokethestillnessofthehouse，Flore，whochancedtowakeup，heardtheregularbreathingofhumanlungsoutsideherdoor，andwasfrightenedtodiscoverJean-Jacques，crouchedlikeadogonthelanding。
“Helovesme，“shethought；“buthewillgettherheumatismifhekeepsupthatsortofthing。“
ThenextdayFlorelookedathermasterwithacertainexpression。
Thismutealmostinstinctivelovehadtouchedher；shenolongerthoughtthepoorninnysougly，thoughhisforeheadwascrownedwithpimplesresemblingulcers，thesignsofavitiatedblood。
“Youdon’twanttogobackandliveinthefields，doyou？“saidJean-
Jacqueswhentheywerealone。
“Whydoyouaskmethat？“shesaid，lookingathim。
“Toknow——“repliedRouget，turningthecolorofaboiledlobster。
“Doyouwishtosendmeback？“sheasked。
“No，mademoiselle。“
“Well，whatisityouwanttoknow？Youhavesomereason——“
“Yes，Iwanttoknow——“
“What？“saidFlore。
“Youwon’ttellme？“exclaimedRouget。
“YesIwill，onmyhonor——“
“Ah！that’sit，“returnedRouget，withafrightenedair。“Areyouanhonestgirl？“
“I’lltakemyoath——“
“Areyou，truly？“
“Don’tyouhearmetellyouso？“
“Come；areyouthesameasyouwerewhenyourunclebroughtyouherebarefooted？“
“Afinequestion，faith！“criedFlore，blushing。
Theheirloweredhisheadanddidnotraiseitagain。Flore，amazedatsuchanencouragingsignfromamanwhohadbeenovercomebyafearofthatnature，lefttheroom。
Threedayslater，atthesamehour(forbothseemedtoregardthedessertasafieldofbattle)，Florespokefirst，andsaidtohermaster，——
“Haveyouanythingagainstme？“
“No，mademoiselle，“heanswered，“No——“[apause]“Onthecontrary。“
“YouseemedannoyedtheotherdaytohearIwasanhonestgirl。“
“No，Ionlywishedtoknow——“[apause]“Butyouwouldnottellme——“
“Onmyword！“shesaid，“Iwilltellyouthewholetruth。“
“Thewholetruthabout——myfather？“heaskedinastrangledvoice。
“Yourfather，“shesaid，lookingfullintohermaster’seye，“wasaworthyman——helikedajoke——Whatofthat？——therewasnothinginit。
But，poordearman，itwasn’tthewillthatwaswanting。Thetruthis，hehadsomespiteagainstyou，Idon’tknowwhat，andhemeant——oh！hemeantyouharm。Sometimeshemademelaugh；butthere！whatofthat？“
“Well，Flore，“saidtheheir，takingherhand，“asmyfatherwasnothingtoyou——“
“Whatdidyousupposehewastome？“shecried，asifoffendedbysomeunworthysuspicion“Well，butjustlisten——“
“Hewasmybenefactor，thatwasall。Ah！hewouldhavelikedtomakemehiswife，but——“
“But，“saidRouget，takingthehandwhichFlorehadsnatchedawayfromhim，“ifhewasnothingtoyouyoucanstayherewithme，can’tyou？“
“Ifyouwishit，“shesaid，droppinghereyes。
“No，no！ifyouwishit，you！“exclaimedRouget。“Yes，youshallbe——
mistresshere。Allthatishereshallbeyours；youshalltakecareofmyproperty，itisalmostyoursnow——forIloveyou；Ihavealwayslovedyousincethedayyoucameandstoodthere——there！——withbarefeet。“
Floremadenoanswer。Whenthesilencebecameembarrassing，Jean-
Jacqueshadrecoursetoaterribleargument。
“Come，“hesaid，withvisiblewarmth，“wouldn’titbebetterthanreturningtothefields？“
“Asyouwill，MonsieurJean，“sheanswered。
