Pierrette，whosetrueandnobleandextremesensibilitywastheantipodesoftheRogrons’hardness，hadadreadofbeingscolded;itwoundedhersosharplythatthetearswouldinstantlystartinherbeautiful，pureeyes。Shehadagreatstrugglewithherselfbeforeshecouldrepresstheenchantingsprightlinesswhichmadehersogreatafavoriteelsewhere。Afteratimeshedisplayeditonlyinthehomesofherlittlefriends。Bytheendofthefirstmonthshehadlearnedtobepassiveinhercousins’house，——somuchsothatRogrononedayaskedherifshewasill。Atthatsuddenquestion，sherantotheendofthegarden，andstoodcryingbesidetheriver，intowhichhertearsmayhavefallenassheherselfwasabouttofallintothesocialtorrent。
Oneday，inspiteofallhercare，shetoreherbestrepsfrockatMadameTiphaine’s，whereshewasspendingahappyday。Thepoorchildburstintotears，foreseeingthecruelthingswhichwouldbesaidtoherathome。Questionedbyherfriends，sheletfallafewwordsaboutherterriblecousin。MadameTiphainehappenedtohavesomerepsexactlylikethatofthefrock，andsheputinanewbreadthherself。
MademoiselleRogronfoundoutthetrick，assheexpressedit，whichthelittledevilhadplayedher。FromthatdayforthsherefusedtoletPierrettegotoanyof\"thosewomen’s\"houses。
ThelifethepoorgirlledinProvinswasdividedintothreedistinctphases。Thefirst，alreadyshown，inwhichshehadsomejoymingledwiththecoldkindnessofhercousinsandtheirsharpreproaches，lastedthreemonths。Sylvie’srefusaltolethergotoherlittlefriends，backedbythenecessityofbeginninghereducation，endedthefirstphaseofherlifeatProvins，theonlyperiodwhenthatlifewasbearabletoher。
Theseevents，producedattheRogronsbyPierrette’spresence，werestudiedbyVinetandthecolonelwiththecautionoffoxespreparingtoenterapoultry—yardanddisturbedbyseeingastrangefowl。Theybothcalledfromtimetotime，——butseldom，soasnottoalarmtheoldmaid;theytalkedwithRogronundervariouspretexts，andmadethemselvesmastersofhismindwithanaffectationofreserveandmodestywhichthegreatTartuffehimselfwouldhaverespected。ThecolonelandthelawyerwerespendingtheeveningwithRogronontheverydaywhenSylviehadrefusedinbitterlanguagetoletPierrettegoagaintoMadameTiphaine’s，orelsewhere。BeingtoldofthisrefusalthecolonelandthelawyerlookedateachotherwithanairwhichseemedtosaythattheyatleastknewProvinswell。