Thus，attwenty-eightyearsofage，theRabouilleusefeltforthefirsttimeatruelove，anidolatrouslove，thelovewhichincludesallwaysofloving，——thatofGulnareandthatofMedora。AssoonasthepennilessofficerfoundouttherespectivesituationsofFloreandJean-JacquesRouget，hesawsomethingmoredesirablethanan“amourette“inanintimacywiththeRabouilleuse。HeaskednothingbetterforhisfutureprosperitythantotakeuphisabodeattheRouget’s，recognizingperfectlythefeeblenatureoftheoldbachelor。
Flore’spassionnecessarilyaffectedthelifeandhouseholdaffairsofhermaster。Foramonththeoldman，nowgrownexcessivelytimid，sawthelaughingandkindlyfaceofhismistresschangetosomethingterribleandgloomyandsullen。Hewasmadetoendureflashesofangrytemperpurposelydisplayed，preciselylikeamarriedmanwhosewifeismeditatinganinfidelity。When，aftersomecruelrebuff，henervedhimselftoaskFlorethereasonofthechange，hereyesweresofullofhatred，andhervoicesoaggressiveandcontemptuous，thatthepoorcreaturequailedunderthem。
“Goodheavens！“shecried；“youhaveneitherheartnorsoul！Here’ssixteenyearsthatIhavespentmyyouthinthishouse，andIhaveonlyjustfoundoutthatyouhavegotastonetherestrikingherbreast。Fortwomonthsyouhaveseenbeforeyoureyesthatbravecaptain，avictimoftheBourbons，whowascutoutforageneral，andisdowninthedepthsofpoverty，huntedintoaholeofaplacewherethere’snowaytomakeapennyofmoney！He’sforcedtositonastoolalldayinthemayor’sofficetoearn——what？Sixhundredmiserablefrancs，——afinething，indeed！Andhereareyou，withsixhundredandfifty-ninethousandwellinvested，andsixtythousandfrancs’income，——thankstome，whoneverspendmorethanthreethousandayear，everythingincluded，evenmyownclothes，yes，everything！——andyouneverthinkofofferinghimahomehere，thoughthere’sthesecondfloorempty！You’drathertheratsandmiceranriotinitthanputahumanbeingthere，——andhealadyourfatheralwaysallowedtobehisownson！Doyouwanttoknowwhatyouare？I’lltellyou，——afratricide！AndIknowwhy，too。YouseeItakeaninterestinhim，andthatprovokesyou。Stupidasyouseem，youhavegotmorespiteinyouthanthespitefullestofmen。Well，yes！Idotakeaninterestinhim，andakeenone——“
“But，Flore——“
“’BUT，FLORE’，indeed！What’sthatgottodowithit？YoumaygoandfindanotherFloreifyoucan！，forIhopethisglassofwinemaypoisonmeifIdon’tgetawayfromyourdungeonofahouse。Ihaven’t，Godbethanked！costyouonepennyduringthetwelveyearsI’vebeenwithyou，andyouhavehadthepleasureofmycompanyintothebargain。IcouldhaveearnedmyownlivinganywherewiththeworkthatI’vedonehere，——washing，ironing，lookingafterthelinen，goingtomarket，cooking，takingcareofyourinterestsbeforeeverything，slavingmyselftodeathfrommorningtillnight，——andthisismyreward！“