His Excellency the Minister Part 72

"Madame la d.u.c.h.esse," Rosas replied coldly, "I am one of those who may be deceived, no one is beyond the reach of treason; but I am not one of those who pardon. I have been extremely foolish, ridiculous, credulous!

So much the worse for me! So much the worse for you! Rosas you are, Rosas you will be! I have been your victim, eh? Exactly, that is admitted: you shall be mine! Nothing could be juster, I think! I wish no scandal resulting from a lawsuit or the notoriety of one or more duels.

I should become ridiculous in the eyes of others. But in my own and your eyes, I do not propose to be! I did not desire to be your lover, I have hardly been your husband. Now I am your companion forever. _Hasta la muerte!_ For me, the cold of an Escurial has no terror. I am accustomed to it. If it makes you quake, whose fault is it? You willed it. A double suicide! We leave this evening!"

"This evening!" repeated Rosas, terribly, while Marianne, terrified, felt stifled under the crus.h.i.+ng weight of that name: _d.u.c.h.esse de Rosas!_

Simon Kayser came to dine. He was deeply moved when he learned that the housekeeping was upset.

What! the devilish duke knew all then?

And he has taken the matter up in a dramatic fas.h.i.+on?

"Folly!"

"It is a serious matter, all the same!" said the uncle, after debating with himself as to where he should dine. "He will break her heart as he said, immured yonder within his four walls!--Ah! it was hardly worth while to handle her affairs so cleverly for a Gochard to come on the scenes and spoil everything, the rascal! For myself, I pity the little Marianne!--Her plan of battle was excellently arranged, well disposed and admirably put together! It was superb! And it failed!--Come, it amounts to this in everything: it is said that the pursuit of a great art is to ply the trade of a dupe! Destiny lacks morality! We should perhaps be happier, both, if she were simply a _cocotte_ and I engaged in photography!--But!" the brave fellow added: "one has lofty ideas, as-pi-ra-tions, or one has not!--One cannot remake one's self when one is an artist!"

PARIS, 1880-1881.