plain to him, or rather, as far as her
attitude showed, to ask him something. It must have been a serious
matter; for he shook his head, and moved his arms, as if he meant
to say, "The deuse, the deuse!"

The strangest suspicions flashed across M. de Tregars' mind. What
was that bargain to which the mirror made him thus an accidental
witness? For it was a bargain: there could be no mistake about it.
The man, having received a mission, had fulfilled it, and had come
to receive the price of it. And now a new commission was offered
to him.

But M. de Tregars' attention was now called off by Mlle. Cesarine.
Shaking off the torpor which for a moment had overpowered her,

"But why fret and worry?" she said, answering, rather, the objections
of her own mind than addressing herself to M. de Tregars. "Things
are just as they are, and I cannot undo them.

"Ah! if the mistakes of life were like soiled clothes, which are
allowed to accumulate in a wardrobe, and which are all sent out at
once to the wash. But nothing washes the past, not even repentance,
whatever they may say. There are some ideas which should be set
aside. A prisoner should not allow himself to think of freedom.

"And yet," she added, shrugging her shoulders, "a prisoner has
always the hope of escaping; whereas I--" Then, making a visible
effort to resume her usual manner,

"Bash!" she said, "that's enough sentiment for one day; and instead
of staying here, boring you to death, I ought to go and dress; for
I am going to the opera with my sweet mamma, and afterwards to the
ball. You ought to come. I am going to wear a stunning dress.
The ball is at Mme. de Bois d'Ardon's,--one of our friends, a
progressive woman. She has a smoking-room for ladies. What do
you think of that? Come, will you go? We'll drink champagne,
and we'll laugh. No? Zut then, and my compliments to your family."

But, at the moment of leaving the room, her heart failed her.

"This is doubtless the last time I shall ever see you, M. de
Tregars," she said. "Farewell! You know now why I, who have a
dowry of a million, I envy Gilberte Favoral. Once more farewell.
And, whatever happiness may fall to your lot in life, remember
that Cesarine has wished it all to you."

And she went out at the very moment when the Baroness de Thaller
returned.

VII

"Cesarine!" Mme. de Thaller called, in a voice which sounded at
once like a prayer and a threat.

"I am going to dres