Part 36 (1/2)
”Charles, you give me no news,” answered M le Marquis ”Of what particular folly do you take the trouble to co hiraceful body sprawling there he looked up at his friend with a tired smile on that nobly handsoe
”Of your last This Binet girl”
”That! Pooh! An incident; hardly a folly”
”A folly--at such a time,” Sautron insisted The Marquis looked a question The Count answered it ”Aline,” said he, pregnantly ”She knows How she knows I can't tell you, but she knows, and she is deeply offended”
The sathered himself up
”Offended?” said he, and his voice was anxious
”But yes You knohat she is You know the ideals she has formed It wounds her that at such a ti her--you should at the sairl”
”How do you know?” asked La Tour d'Azyr
”She has confided in her aunt And the poor child seems to have some reason She says she will not tolerate that you should come to kiss her hand with lips that are still contaminated from Oh, you understand
You appreciate the iirl such as Aline She said--I had better tell you--that the next time you kiss her hand, she will call for water and wash it in your presence”
The Marquis' face fla his violent, intolerant spirit, M de Sautron was prepared for an outburst But no outburst came The Marquis turned away from him, and paced slowly to the , his head bowed, his hands behind his back Halted there he spoke, without turning, his voice was at once scornful and wistful
”You are right, Charles, I ah sense left to perceive it It is the way I have lived, I suppose I have never known the need to denyround, and the outburst came ”But,yet! I think I should kill h my folly I should have lost her” He struck his broith his hand ”I am a beast!” he said ”I should have known that if that sweet saint got word of these petty devilries of o through fire to regain her respect”
”I hope it is to be regained on easier teran to irk him by its solemnity, he made a feeble joke ”It is h certain fires that are not accounted bya nature”
”As to that Binet girl, it is finished--finished,” said the Marquis
”I congratulate you When did you make that decision?”
”This o As it is--” he shrugged--”why, twenty-four hours of her have been enough for me as they would have been for any e with the soul of a trull Bah!” He shuddered in disgust of himself and her
”Ah! That makes it easier for you,” said M de Sautron, cynically
”Don't say it, Charles It is not so Had you been less of a fool, you would have warned h if you'll profit by the warning”
”There is no penance I will not do I will prostrate myself at her feet
I will abase myself before her I will make confession in the proper spirit of contrition, and Heaven helping me, I'll keep to ically in earnest
To M de Sautron, who had never seen hi, this was an aave hih a keyhole He slapped his friend's shoulder
”My dear Gervais, here is a h said
Keep to it, and I promise you that all will presently be well I will be your ambassador, and you shall have no cause to coo to her myself?”