t----"

"But you, son of the South, my splendid jaguar, come expressly for me
from the virgin forest of Brazil," said she, taking his hand and kissing
and fondling it, "I have some consideration for the poor creature you
mean to make your wife.--Shall I be your wife, Henri?"

"Yes," said the Brazilian, overpowered by this unbridled volubility of
passion. And he knelt at her feet.

"Well, then, Henri," said Valerie, taking his two hands and looking
straight into his eyes, "swear to me now, in the presence of Lisbeth, my
best and only friend, my sister--that you will make me your wife at the
end of my year's widowhood."

"I swear it."

"That is not enough. Swear by your mother's ashes and eternal salvation,
swear by the Virgin Mary and by all your hopes as a Catholic!"

Valerie knew that the Brazilian would keep that oath even if she should
have fallen into the foulest social slough.

The Baron solemnly swore it, his nose almost touching Valerie's white
bosom, and his eyes spellbound. He was drunk, drunk as a man is when he
sees the woman he loves once more, after a sea voyage of a hundred and
twenty days.

"Good. Now be quite easy. And in Madame Marneffe respect the future
Baroness de Montejanos. You are not to spend a sou upon me; I forbid
it.--Stay here in the outer room; sleep on the sofa. I myself will come
and tell you when you may move.--We will breakfast to-morrow morning,
and you can be leaving at about one o'clock as if you had come to call
at noon. There is nothing to fear; the gate-keepers love me as much as
if they were my father and mother.--Now I must go down and make tea."

She beckoned to Lisbeth, who followed her out on to the landing. There
Valerie whispered in the old maid's ear:

"My darkie has come back too soon. I shall die if I cannot avenge you on
Hortense!"

"Make your mind easy, my pretty little devil!" said Lisbeth, kissing her
forehead. "Love and Revenge on the same track will never lose the game.
Hortense expects me to-morrow; she is in beggary. For a thousand francs
you may have a thousand kisses from Wenceslas."

On leaving Valerie, Hulot had gone down to the porter's lodge and made a
sudden invasion there.

"Madame Olivier?"

On hearing the imperious tone of this address, and seeing the action
by which the Baron emphasized it, Madame Olivier came out into the
courtyard as far as the Baron led her.

"You know that if any one can help your son to a connection by and by,
i