drink brandy, then choose among the
girls whose company you frequent another bride, who will be only too
glad if you are drunk every day in the year."

Peter took up his hat, put it on his head, looked Ivan in the face,
and, in an altered voice, said:

"No, sir, I shall never drink brandy again; only once in my life shall
I taste the accursed thing--once. You will remember what I say, and
when I smell of it, when I am seen coming out of the public-house, or
when you hear that I have been there, then stay at home, for on that
day no one will know how or when he will die."

Ivan left the man standing, and going back into his house, shut the
door behind him. His first satisfaction at the news was passing away.
This miserable peasant, who had dared to be his successful rival, had
lost the treasure which he coveted. The fool had the pearl in his
keeping, but he didn't know how to value it, and he had let it fall.
That was good; but where had it fallen, this pearl so white and lovely
in its purity and innocence? His soul was full of sorrow as he thought
how in his eyes it had lost all its value. The girl who had seemed to
him so virtuous, who kept her troth so faithfully, whose simplicity
had been what he really loved--she had fallen at the first word from a
villain. She refused her master, who had honorably offered her his
name, his house, his all. But he had not the gifts of the other; he
was not a dressed-up fellow, with town manners and seductive ways; he
had not the tongue of a seducer, and had not promised her jewels and
fine clothes, balls and operas. It was the same story with all women,
and Mahomet was right when he gave them no souls, and no place either
on earth or in heaven.

CHAPTER VI

COUNTESS THEUDELINDE

The mistress of Bondavara was at this time fifty-eight years old. Ivan
had not overstated her age when he gave Felix the information.
Countess Theudelinde had long since given up the world. The
renunciation cost her very little; she had never been in touch with
it. Up to her fourteenth year she had grown up in the house of her
father, the prince; at that period her mother, the princess, died. The
governess of Theudelinde was beautiful, the prince was old. The
countess--only the first-born can have the princely title; the younger
children are all counts and countesses--could not, for various
reasons, remain under the paternal roof; she was sent out of the way
and to finish her education at a c