voice:

"Please show me the letter that you have received from Mme. de Lorcy."

"What is the use?" he rejoined. "I know it by heart. I am ready to
recite it to you."

"Is it a letter that cannot be shown?"

"No, indeed; but as I tell you that I am ready to give you an account of
it--"

"I would prefer to read it with my own eyes."

"After all, you have a right. There! take it. But I beg of you do not be
offended by unfortunate expressions."

"Mme. de Lorcy always knows how to choose the proper word to express her
thought," she responded.

When she had run her eye rapidly over Mme. de Lorcy's eight closely
written pages, she looked at her father and smiled.

"You must own that you found a very useful and a very zealous ally in
Mme. de Lorcy; do her this justice, she has worked hard, and you owe
her many thanks for having busied herself so actively in ridding you of
'this worthy man, this good man, this delightful man'; those are her own
words, if you remember."

M. Moriaz exclaimed: "I hope you do not imagine that it was a matter
arranged between us. Do you really suspect me of having some dark plot
with Mme. de Lorcy! Do you believe me capable of being implicated in an
act of perfidy?"

"God forbid! I only accuse you of being too joyous, and of not knowing
how to conceal it."

"Is that a crime?"

"Perhaps it is an indiscretion."

"I swear to you, my dear child, that I only consider your happiness,
and Mme. de Lorcy herself--Since M. Langis no longer thinks of you, what
reason could she have--"

"I do not know," interrupted Antoinette; "but her prejudice would take
the place of reason."

"So you will not believe that Count Larinski is married?"

"I believe it, without being certain, and I wish to be assured of it.
Have I not acted in good faith through all this matter? was I not ready
to comply with your conditions? I consented to refer to the judgment of
Mme. de Lorcy. She has deigned to be gracious to the accused. She
has admitted that M. Larinski is a perfectly honourable and even a
delightful man; but she has discovered, at intervals of several days,
first, that he does not love me, and then, that he has deceived me by
letting me believe that he was still free. I wish to satisfy my own
mind, and convince myself that I am not being played with."

"And you have concluded----"

"I have concluded that, with your permission, we shall leave to-morrow
morning for Cormeilles."

This conclusion was