can dazzle us to the point of making us forget all else--even at our
age. Though you may have fifty thousand francs a year, your age
counterbalances your fortune; thus you have nothing whatever of what a
woman looks for----"

"But love!" said the officer, rising and coming forward. "Such love
as----"

"No, monsieur, such obstinacy!" said the Baroness, interrupting him to
put an end to his absurdity.

"Yes, obstinacy," said he, "and love; but something stronger still--a
claim----"

"A claim!" cried Madame Hulot, rising sublime with scorn, defiance,
and indignation. "But," she went on, "this will bring us to no issues;
I did not ask you to come here to discuss the matter which led to your
banishment in spite of the connection between our families----"

"I had fancied so."

"What! still?" cried she. "Do you not see, monsieur, by the entire
ease and freedom with which I can speak of lovers and love, of
everything least creditable to a woman, that I am perfectly secure in
my own virtue? I fear nothing--not even to shut myself in alone with
you. Is that the conduct of a weak woman? You know full well why I
begged you to come."

"No, madame," replied Crevel, with an assumption of great coldness. He
pursed up his lips, and again struck an attitude.

"Well, I will be brief, to shorten our common discomfort," said the
Baroness, looking at Crevel.

Crevel made an ironical bow, in which a man who knew the race would
have recognized the graces of a bagman.

"Our son married your daughter----"

"And if it were to do again----" said Crevel.

"It would not be done at all, I suspect," said the baroness hastily.
"However, you have nothing to complain of. My son is not only one of
the leading pleaders of Paris, but for the last year he has sat as
Deputy, and his maiden speech was brilliant enough to lead us to
suppose that ere long he will be in office. Victorin has twice been
called upon to report on important measures; and he might even now, if
he chose, be made Attorney-General in the Court of Appeal. So, if you
mean to say that your son-in-law has no fortune----"

"Worse than that, madame, a son-in-law whom I am obliged to maintain,"
replied Crevel. "Of the five hundred thousand francs that formed my
daughter's marriage portion, two hundred thousand have vanished--God
knows how!--in paying the young gentleman's debts, in furnishing his
house splendaciously--a house costing five hundred thousand francs,
and bringing i