第60章

I knew Marguerite.Meeting me so unexpectedly must have thrown her into a state of great confusion.In all likelihood，she had got to hear of my departure which had set her mind at rest as to the consequences of our sudden parting.But，seeing me back and coming face to face with me，pale as I was，she had sensed that my return had a purpose，and must have wondered what was going to happen.

If，when I saw her again，Marguerite had been unhappy；if，in taking my revenge，there had also been some way of helping her-then I might well have forgiven her，and would certainly never have dreamed of doing her any harm.But when I saw her again，she was happy，at least on the surface.Another man had restored her to the luxury in which I had been unable to keep her.Our estrangement，which she had initiated，accordingly acquired the stamp of the basest self-interest.I was humiliated both in my pride and my love：she was going to have to pay for what I had suffered.

I could not remain indifferent to what she did now.It followed that the thing that would hurt her most would be precisely for me to show indifference.Indifference，therefore，was the sentiment which I now needed to feign，not only in her presence but in the eyes of others.

I tried to put a smile on my face，and I went to call on Prudence.

Her maid went in to announce me，and kept me waiting briefly in the drawing-room.

Madame Duvernoy appeared at length and showed me into her parlour.As I was about to sit down，I heard the drawing-room door open and a light footfall made a floorboard creak.Then the door to the landing slammed shut.

'I'm not disturbing you？'I asked Prudence.

'Not in the least.Marguerite was with me.When she heard you being announced，she ran away.That was her just leaving.'

'So now I scare her？'

'No，but she's afraid you wouldn't relish seeing her again.'

'Why ever not？'I said，making an effort to breathe freely，for my emotions were choking me.'The poor creature left me so that she could get her carriage and furniture and diamonds back.She was quite right，and it's not for me to bear grudges.I ran into her earlier on，'I went on nonchalantly.

'Where？'said Prudence，who was staring at me and evidently wondering if this was the same man she had known so much in love.

'On the Champs-Elysees.She was with another，very attractive woman.Who would that be？'

'What's she look like？'

''A blonde girl，slim.Had her hair in ringlets.Blue eyes，very fashionably dressed.'

'Ah！That's Olympe.Yes，she's a very pretty girl.'

'Who's she living with？'

'Nobody.Everybody.'

'And her address？'

'In the rue Tronchet，number……Well，I declare！You want to take up with her？'

'You never know what can happen.'

'And Marguerite？'

'I'd be lying if I told you that I never think of her any more.But I'm one of those men who set great store by the way an affair is ended.Now Marguerite gave me my marching orders in such an offhand sort of way，that I was left feeling I'd been rather silly to have fallen in love with her the way I did-for I really was in love with her.'

You can guess in what tone of voice I tried to say all this：the perspiration was pouring off my forehead.

'She loved you too，you know，and still does.You want proof？Well，after she met you today，she came straight round here to tell me all about it.When she got here，she was all of a tremble，almost ill she was.'

'And what did she tell you？'

'She said：'I expect he'll come to see you，'and she begged me to ask you to forgive her.'

'I've forgiven her，you can tell her.She's a good girl，but she's a good-time girl，and I should have expected what she did to me.I'm grateful to her for making the break，because I wonder now where my idea that I could live exclusively with her would have got us.It was very silly.'

'She'll be very happy when she learns you took it like that when you saw she had no alternative.It was high time she left you，my dear.The rogue of a dealer she'd offered to sell her furniture to，had been to see her creditors to ask how much she owed them.They'd got cold feet and were planning to sell everything in another two days.'

'And now，it's all paid back？'

'Almost.'

'And who provided the money？'

'Count de N.Listen，dear，there are men who were put in this would for paying up.To cut a long story short，he came up with twenty thousand francs-but he's got what he wanted.He knows Marguerite doesn't love him，but that doesn't prevent him being very nice to her.You saw for yourself that he's bought back her horses and redeemed her jewels，and he gives her as much money as the Duke used to.If she's prepared to settle for a quiet life，then this is one man who'll stay with her for a long time.'