Part 16 (1/2)
”Frightened!” I echoed, and the blood rushed into my cheeks
”Mon Dieu! Perhaps you are not Listen, Monsieur, I a he will not He is serious, Monsieur, and you et the paper after all, and remember, I must have it My brother must have it, and he shall, only you must not disturb him He may shoot at the town, if he cares to, or murder your uncle He has often spoken of it at Blanzy, but the paper is another matter You must leave it to me”
”To you!” I cried
”Precisely,” said Made You are inexperienced Pardon me, but you would be quite ineffective”
My cheeks flaain Somehow no sarcasm of my father's had bitten as deep as those last words of hers I do not knohether it was chagrin or anger that I felt at the bitter sense of my own futility And she had seen it all As coldly and as accurately as iven her verdict She atching me noith a cool, confident smile that made me turn away
”Ah,” she said, ”I have hurt you, and believein the polite iue resentlance
”I am sorry” she said, and paused expectantly, but I could only stare at the floor in silence
”Believe ht have been different if I had detected the slightest contrition, but instead I seemed only to afford her mild amusement
”There is no need to be sorry,” I replied
”Ah, but there is!” she said quickly, ”Last night you were very kind
Last night you tried to helppale and troubled, while rinned at her across the rooht--”
”Was quite unnecessary,” she said, ”And very foolish”
I drew a sharp breath The bit of gallantry I had on my mind to speak seemed weak and useless now
”Made that I did last night was on her account”
”Nothing!” she exclai,” I said, ”Pray believeI did, however foolish, was solely for myself I have my own affair to settle withher foot on the floor, and oddly enough ry, ”So you are like all the rest of the!”
”If Madeely puzzled and singularly contrite
”Listen to you!” she cried, ”No, Monsieur, I have listened to you quite long enough to know your type I see now you are quite what I thought you would be I say you are entirely ineffective, and must leave your father alone You do not understand him You do not even know him With me it is different I have seen the world He is teenius in his way, and a little mad, perhaps Leave hiht, it was so sudden, that I was frightened for a moe his ed it It is you, Monsieur You have had a bad effect upon hirotesque What did you do to hih ”Why, nothing I listened to hi to hi”
”And yet,” she said, ”it is your fault Usually he is most well behaved
He is lass of wine at dinner was all he ever desired For days at a time, I have hardly heard him say a word The Marquis would call hi bottle after bottle, talking steadily, acting outrageously What ishome I tell you, Monsieur, you must keep away from him, or perhaps he will do with the paper exactly what he says Pray do not scowl Laugh, Monsieur, it is funny”
”Funny?” I exclaihed
”If the Marquis had only lived--hoould have laughed It was odd, the sense of hue how much alike they were, the Marquis and your father”