given me up blindly. Not that I believe yet she has really given me
up; she will talk it over with me. But you have frightened her, you have
bullied her, you have HURT her. What was it you did to her?"

"I did very little!" said Madame de Bellegarde, in a tone which gave
Newman a chill when he afterwards remembered it.

"Let me remind you that we offered you these explanations," the marquis
observed, "with the express understanding that you should abstain from
violence of language."

"I am not violent," Newman answered, "it is you who are violent! But I
don't know that I have much more to say to you. What you expect of
me, apparently, is to go my way, thanking you for favors received, and
promising never to trouble you again."

"We expect of you to act like a clever man," said Madame de Bellegarde.
"You have shown yourself that already, and what we have done is
altogether based upon your being so. When one must submit, one must.
Since my daughter absolutely withdraws, what will be the use of your
making a noise?"

"It remains to be seen whether your daughter absolutely withdraws. Your
daughter and I are still very good friends; nothing is changed in that.
As I say, I will talk it over with her."

"That will be of no use," said the old lady. "I know my daughter well
enough to know that words spoken as she just now spoke to you are final.
Besides, she has promised me."

"I have no doubt her promise is worth a great deal more than your own,"
said Newman; "nevertheless I don't give her up."

"Just as you please! But if she won't even see you,--and she
won't,--your constancy must remain purely Platonic."

Poor Newman was feigning a greater confidence than he felt. Madame de
Cintre's strange intensity had in fact struck a chill to his heart; her
face, still impressed upon his vision, had been a terribly vivid image
of renunciation. He felt sick, and suddenly helpless. He turned away and
stood for a moment with his hand on the door; then he faced about and
after the briefest hesitation broke out with a different accent. "Come,
think of what this must be to me, and let her alone! Why should you
object to me so--what's the matter with me? I can't hurt you. I wouldn't
if I could. I'm the most unobjectionable fellow in the world. What if
I am a commercial person? What under the sun do you mean? A commercial
person? I will be any sort of a person you want. I never talked to you
about business. Let her go, and I will ask n