"I was laughing at you only a moment since," he said in his grave and vibrating voice, Pardon me, mademoiselle, It is with the utmost sincerity, and from the innermost depths of my soul, that I pity you."
She was looking at him with an air of timid doubt, big tears trembling between her long eyelashes.
"Honest?" she asked.
"Upon my honor."
"And you will not go with too poor an opinion of me?"
"I shall retain the firm belief that when you were yet but a child, you were spoiled by insane theories."
Gently and sadly she was passing her hand over her forehead.
"Yes, that's it," she murmured. "How could I resist examples coming from certain persons? How could I help becoming intoxicated when I saw myself, as it were, in a cloud of incense when I heard nothing but praises and applause? And then there is the money, which depraves when it comes in a certain way."
She ceased to speak; but the silence was soon again broken by a slight noise, which came from the adjoining room.
Mechanically, M. de Traggers looked around him. The little parlor in which he found himself was divided from the main drawing-room of the house by a tall and broad door, closed only by heavy curtains, which had remained partially drawn. Now, such was the disposition of the mirrors in the two rooms, that M. de Traggers could see almost the whole of the large one reflected in the mirror over the mantelpiece of the little parlor. A man of suspicious appearance, and wearing wretched clothes, was standing in it.
And, the more M. de Traggers examined him, the more it seemed to him that he had already seen somewhere that uneasy countenance, that anxious glance, that wicked smile flitting upon flat and thin lips.
But suddenly the man bowed very low. It was probable that Mme. de Thaller, who had gone around through the hall to reach the grand parlor, must be coming in; and in fact she almost immediately appeared within the range of the glass. She seemed much agitated; and, with a finger upon her lips, she was recommending to the man to be prudent, and to speak low. It was therefore in a whisper, and such a low whisper that not even a vague murmur reached the little par1or that the man uttered a few words. They were such that the baroness started back as if she had seen a precipice yawning at her feet; and by this action it was easy to understand that she must have said, "Is it possible?"
With the voice which still could not be heard, but with a gesture which could be seen, the man evidently replied, "It is so, I assure you!"
And leaning towards Mme. de Thaller, who seemed in no wise shocked to feel this repulsive personage's lips almost touching her ear, he began speaking to her.
The surprise which this species of vision caused to M. de Tregars was great, but did not keep him from reflecting what could be the meaning of this scene. How came this suspicious-looking man to have obtained access, without difficulty, into the grand parlor?
Why had the baroness, on receiving his card, turned whiter than the laces on her dress? What news had he brought, which had made such a deep impression? What was he saying that seemed at once to terrify and to delight Mme. de Thaller?
But soon she interrupted the man, beckoned to him to wait, disappeared for a minute; and, when she came in again, she held in her hand a package of bank-notes, which she began counting upon the parlor-table.
She counted twenty-five, which, so far as M. de Tregars could judge, must have been hundred-franc notes. The man took them counted them over, slipped them into his pocket with a grin of satisfaction, and then seemed disposed to retire.
The baroness detained him, however; and it was she now, who, leaning towards him, commenced to explain to him, or rather, as far as her attitude showed, to ask him something. It must have been a serious matter; for he shook his head, and moved his arms, as if he meant to say, "The deuse, the deuse!"
The strangest suspicions flashed across M. de Tregars' mind. What was that bargain to which the mirror made him thus an accidental witness? For it was a bargain: there could be no mistake about it.
The man, having received a mission, had fulfilled it, and had come to receive the price of it. And now a new commission was offered to him.
But M. de Traggers' attention was now called off by Mlle. Cesarine.
Shaking off the torpor which for a moment had overpowered her, "But why fret and worry?" she said, answering, rather, the objections of her own mind than addressing herself to M. de Traggers. "Things are just as they are, and I cannot undo them.
"Ah! if the mistakes of life were like soiled clothes, which are allowed to accumulate in a wardrobe, and which are all sent out at once to the wash. But nothing washes the past, not even repentance, whatever they may say. There are some ideas which should be set aside. A prisoner should not allow himself to think of freedom.
"And yet," she added, shrugging her shoulders, "a prisoner has always the hope of escaping; whereas I" - Then, making a visible effort to resume her usual manner, Bash!" she said, "that's enough sentiment for one day; and instead of staying here, boring you to death, I ought to go and dress; for I am going to the opera with my sweet mamma, and afterwards to the ball. You ought to come. I am going to wear a stunning dress.
The ball is at Mme. de Bois d'Ardon's, - one of our friends, a progressive woman. She has a smoking-room for ladies. What do you think of that? Come, will you go? We'll drink champagne, and we'll laugh. No? Zut then, and my compliments to your family."
But, at the moment of leaving the room, her heart failed her.
"This is doubtless the last time I shall ever see you, M. de Traggers," she said. "Farewell! You know now why I, who have a dowry of a million, I envy Gilberte Favoral. Once more farewell.
And, whatever happiness may fall to your lot in life, remember that Cesarine has wished it all to you.".
And she went out at the very moment when the Baroness de Thaller returned.
