a state of rage
and affright, which you will easily conceive. When my father
recovered his senses, all that had occurred seemed to him a
horrid dream. I was under the sad necessity of imparting to him
my first suspicions as to my mother's premature death,
suspicions which your knowledge of Doctor Polidori's earlier
crimes had converted into certainty. I also told him how my
stepmother had persecuted me to the time of my marriage, and
what had been her object in making me marry M. d'Harville. In
proportion as my father had shown himself weak with respect to
this woman, so was he now pitiless towards her. He was desirous
of handing Madame d'Orbigny over to the tribunals. I represented
to him the horrible scandal of such a process, the publicity of
which must be so distressing to him; and I induced him to allow
her as much as was requisite for her to live upon. I had
considerable difficulty in persuading my father to these terms,
and he then wished me to dismiss her. This task was so painful
that I requested Sir Walter to perform it for me, which he did."

"I consented with pleasure," interrupted Murphy.

"And what said this woman?"

"Madame d'Harville kindly solicited a pension of a hundred louis for
this woman: this appeared to me not only kindness, but weakness; it was
bad enough to allow her to escape from justice; and the count agreeing
with me, it was arranged that we should give her in all twenty-five
louis to maintain her until she should find some occupation. 'And to
what occupation can I, the Countess d'Orbigny, turn?' she asked me,
insolently. '_Ma foi!_ that is your affair,--you may do as a nurse or
housekeeper; but take my advice and seek some humbler, more obscure
occupation, for if you have the daring to mention your name--a name
which you owe to a crime--people will be astonished to see the Countess
d'Orbigny reduced to such a condition; they will then begin to make
inquiries, and you may judge what will be the result, if you are so
indiscreet as to say one word of the past. Hide yourself, therefore, at
a distance,--try and become forgotten; become Madame Pierre or Madame
Jacques, and repent if you can.' 'And do you suppose, sir,' she said,
having, no doubt, resolved on a piece of stage effect, 'do you suppose
that I shall not sue for the advantage which my marriage settlement
awards me?' 'Why, madame, nothing can be more just; it will be
dishonourable