"I swear to you, my dear child, that I only consider your happiness, and Mme.de Lorcy herself-- Since M.Langis no longer thinks of you, what reason could she have--""I do not know," interrupted Antoinette; "but her prejudice would take the place of reason.""So you will not believe that Count Larinski is married?""I believe it, without being certain, and I wish to be assured of it.
Have I not acted in good faith through all this matter? was I not ready to comply with your conditions? I consented to refer to the judgment of Mme.de Lorcy.She has deigned to be gracious to the accused.She has admitted that M.Larinski is a perfectly honourable and even a delightful man; but she has discovered, at intervals of several days, first, that he does not love me, and then, that he has deceived me by letting me believe that he was still free.I wish to satisfy my own mind, and convince myself that I am not being played with.""And you have concluded----"
"I have concluded that, with your permission, we shall leave to-morrow morning for Cormeilles."This conclusion was by no means agreeable to M.Moriaz, whose face grew sensibly longer.
"Of what are you afraid? You know that I have character, and you ought to know, no matter what Mme.de Lorcy says, that I am not wanting in good sense.When it is proved to me that I have deceived myself, Iwill make the sign of the cross over my romance; it will be dead and buried, and I promise you not to wear mourning for it.""So be it," said he; "I believe in your good sense, I have faith in your reason: we shall leave to-morrow for Cormeilles."Four days later, Mme.de Lorcy was walking in an alley in her park.
She was joined there by M.Langis, to whom she said, in a good-humoured tone: "Always grave and melancholy, my dear Camille! When will you cease your drooping airs? I cannot understand you.I do my best to be agreeable to you, to settle matters satisfactorily.Nothing seems to cheer you.You make me think of the hare in La Fontaine:
" 'Cet animal est triste, et la Crainte le ronge.' ""Fear and hate, madame," replied he."I hate this man; he is insupportable to me.I will give up coming to Maisons if I always must meet him here.Has he paid you his adieux for the last time?""Not yet; a little patience--we shall not count the minutes.Besides, what harm can this man do you? The lion has lost his claws--what do Isay?--he has carried his good-nature to the point of muzzling himself.
It is not generous to pursue with hate a disarmed enemy.""Very well, madame, if he is not gone in three days, I return to my first idea; it was the best.""You will cut his throat?"
"With all my heart."
"For the love of art?"
"I am not a very bloodthirsty individual, but I would take a singular delight in slashing at the skin of this gloomy personage."Mme.de Lorcy shrugged her shoulders."What makes you think him gloomy, my dear? You are perfectly reasonable.You ought to adore M.
Larinski; you are under the greatest obligations to him.He has been the first to succeed in touching the heart of our dear, hitherto insensible girl; he has broken the charm.She was the Sleeping Beauty;he has awakened her, and, through the favour of Heaven, he cannot marry her.I can see her in Churwalden, a prey to the gloomiest ennui, weeping over her illusions, furious at having been deceived.Do you not divine all the advantage that can be derived from a woman's anger?""You know that I love her, and yet I do not wish to owe anything to her spite.""You are a child: be guided.The moment is come for you to propose.In a few days you will start for Churwalden, and you will say to this angry woman, 'I have lied--I love you.' In short, you will talk to her of your amorous flame; and you may, freely, under these circumstances, exhaust all your treasure-store of hyperbole.She will listen to you, I can promise you, and she will say to herself, 'I seek vengeance--here it is.' "
"I would like to believe you, madame," he replied, "but are you very certain that Mlle.Moriaz is still at Churwalden?"And, pointing with his finger, he showed her at the end of the avenue a figure coming towards them clad in a pretty nut-brown dress with a long train sweeping the gravel.
"Truly, I believe that it is she," cried Mme.de Lorcy."M.Moriaz is the most unskilful person; but, after all, not much harm is done."Mlle.Moriaz had arrived the evening previous at Cormeilles.After resting somewhat from the fatigues of the journey, she had nothing more urgent to do than to order the horses put to her coupe and to come and pay her respects to her godmother, who could not fail to be touched by this attention.
