lders, which were
like those of a suburban bully.

"Just so!"

"That would surprise me!" said Gochard. "But, _saperlipopette_, you are
not very polite in your set!"

"Not very polite with boors! You are in my house!"

"Oh! you can't teach me where I am!" said the Dujarrier's lover, with a
wink of his eye. "But, madame has been perching at my cost for a long
time at Rue Prony and it is upon my signature, yes, my own signature, if
you please, that she has obtained the means of renting the Hotel Vanda.
She has not so much to be impudent about!"

"Your signature?--The Hotel Vanda?"

The duke looked at Marianne, who, as white as a corpse, instead of
becoming indignant, entreated and tried to lead her husband away from
this man, as if they were in the presence of grave danger.

"Ah! bless me!" cried Jose, "you will explain to me--!"

"That is very easy!--I was in want of money. The Dujarrier furnished me
with a little for that affair. She is too niggardly. I ask madame for
some. She assumes a haughty tone, and, instead of comprehending that I
come as a friend, she threatens to have me put out of doors. Blackmail!
I?--I?--What nonsense!"

A friend! This man dared to say before her who bore the name of Duchesse
de Rosas that he came to her as an intimate. This alcoholic braggart had
assisted Marianne in sub-renting, he knew not what hotel, from a
wanton!--Rue Prony!--Vanda!--What was there in common between these
names and that of the duchess? And the Dujarrier, that Dujarrier whose
manner of living was known to the Castilian, how had she become
associated with Marianne's life?

Ah! since he had commenced, this Gochard would make an end of it. He
would tell everything! Even if he did not wish it, he would speak now.
Rosas, frightened himself, and terrified at the prospect of some
unknown baseness and doubtful transaction, felt Marianne's hand tremble
in his, and by degrees, as Gochard proceeded, the duke realized that
Marianne wished to get away and it was he who now retained her; holding
the young woman's wrist tightly within his fingers, he forcibly
prevented her from escaping, insisting that she should listen and hear
everything.

"Ah! if you think that I am afraid of speaking," said Gochard, "you will
soon see!"

And then with a sort of swaggering air like that of a fencing-master or
tippler, searching for some droll expressions, cowardly avenging himself
by jests ejected like so many streams of tobacco, aga