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e; more serious and sober; did not enjoy to the same extent。 Therefore; when Monsieur de Camps proposed going to the Porte…Saint… Martin to see a fairy piece then much in vogue; Madame Octave replied:

〃Neither Madame de l'Estorade nor I have the least desire to go out this evening; we are very tired with our expedition。 Take Rene and Nais; they will enjoy the fairies far more than we。〃

The two children awaited in deep anxiety the permission which Madame de l'Estorade finally granted; and a few moments later the two friends; left to themselves; prepared for an evening of comfortable talk。

〃I am not at home to any one;〃 said Madame de l'Estorade to Lucas; as soon as her family had departed。

〃Now that we are alone;〃 said Madame de Camps; 〃I shall proceed to blows; I have not travelled two hundred miles to wrap up in cotton… wool the truth I have come to tell you。〃

〃Ready to hear it;〃 said Madame de l'Estorade; laughing。

〃Your last letter; my dear; simply frightened me。〃

〃Why? Because I told you I was trying to keep a man at a distance?〃

〃Yes。 Why keep him at a distance? If Monsieur de Camps or Monsieur Gaston or Monsieur de Rastignac were to make a practice of coming here habitually; would you trouble yourself about them?〃

〃No; but they have not the same claim upon me: it is that I fear。〃

〃Tell me; do you think Monsieur de Sallenauve loves you?〃

〃No; I am now quite sure to the contrary; and I also think that on my side〃

〃We'll talk about that presently; now I want to ask if you desire Monsieur de Sallenauve to love you?〃

〃Heaven forbid!〃

〃Well; then; the best possible way to make him do so is to wound his self…love; and show yourself unjust and ungrateful to him; you will only force him to think the more of you。〃

〃But; my dear friend; isn't that a very far…fetched observation?〃

〃Did you never observe that men are more taken by our snubs than by our caresses? Severity fixes their attention upon us。〃

〃If that were so; all the men we disdain and never think of would sigh for us。〃

〃Oh! my dear; don't make me talk such nonsense。 To take fire; a man must have some degree of combustibility; and if that /other/ person is lost to him forever; why shouldn't he; as you said yourself; ricochet upon you?〃

〃That other person is not lost to him; he expects; more than ever; to find her by the help of a very clever seeker; the mother…superior of a convent at Arcis。〃

〃Very good; then why employ the delay in holding him at arm's… length;a proceeding which will only draw him towards you?〃

〃My dear moralist; I don't admit your theory in the least。 As for Monsieur de Sallenauve; he will be much too busy with his duties in the Chamber to think of me。 Besides; he is a man who is full of self… respect; he will be mortified by my manner; which will seem to him both ungrateful and unjust。 If I try to put two feet of distance between us; he will put four; you may rely on that。〃

〃And /you/; my dear?〃 asked Madame de Camps。

〃How do you mean?I?〃

〃You who are not busy; who have no Chamber to occupy your mind; you who have; I will agree; a great deal of self…respect; but who know as little about the things of the heart as the veriest school…girl;what will become of you under the dangerous system you are imposing upon yourself?〃

〃If I don't love him when near; I shall certainly love him still less at a distance。〃

〃So that when you see him take his ostracism coolly; your self…love as a woman will not be piqued。〃

〃Certainly not; that is precisely the result I desire。〃

〃And if you find; on the contrary; that he complains of you; or if he does not complain; that he suffers from your treatment; will your conscience tell you absolutely nothing?〃

〃It will tell me that I am doing right; and that I could not do otherwise。〃

〃And if success attends him and fame with its hundred voices talks of him; how will you think of him?〃

〃As I think of Monsieur Thiers and Monsieur Berryer。〃

〃And Nais; who adores him and will probably say; the first time he dines with you; 'Ah! mamma; how well he talks!'〃

〃If you are going to argue on the chatter of a child〃

〃And Monsieur de l'Estorade; who already irritates you? He is beginning to…day to sacrifice him to the spirit of party; shall you silence him every time he makes some malevolent insinuation about Monsieur de Sallenauve; and denies his honor and his talent?you know the judgment people make on those who do not think as we do。〃

〃In short;〃 said Madame de l'Estorade; 〃you are trying to make me admit that the surest way to think of a person is to put him out of sight。〃

〃Listen to me; my dear;〃 said Madame de Camps; with a slight touch of gravity。 〃I have read and re…read your letters。 You were there your own self; more natural and less quibbling than you are now; and an impression has remained upon my mind: it is that Monsieur de Sallenauve has touched your heart; though he may not have entered it。〃

Madame de l'Estorade made a gesture of denial; but the confessor went on:

〃I know that idea provokes you; you can't very well admit to me what you have studiously denied to yourself。 But what is; is。 We don't say of a man; 'A sort of magnetism issues from him; one feels his eye without meeting it'; we don't cry out; 'I am invulnerable on the side of love;' without having had some prickings of it。〃

〃But so many things have happened since I wrote that nonsense。〃

〃True; he was only a sculptor then; and before long he may be a minister;not like Monsieur de Rastignac; but like our great poet; Canalis。〃

〃I like sermons with definite deductions;〃 said Madame de l'Estorade; with a touch of impatience。

〃That is what Vergniaud said to Robespierre on the 31st of May; and I reply; with Robespierre; Yes; I'll draw my conclusion; and it is against your self…confidence as a woman; who; having reached the age of thirty…two without a suspicion of what love is; cannot admit that at this late date she may be subjected to the common law。〃

〃But what I want is a practical conclusion;〃 said Madame de l'Estorade; tapping her foot。

〃My practical conclusion;here it is;〃 replied Madame Octave。 〃If you will not persist in the folly of swimming against the current; I see no danger whatever in your being submerged。 You are strong; you have principles and religion; you adore your children; you love Monsieur de l'Estorade; their father; in them。 With all that ballast you cannot sink。〃

〃Well?〃 said Madame de l'Estorade; interrogatively。

〃Well; there is no need to have recourse to violent measures; the success of which is very problematical。 Remain as you are; build no barricades when no one attacks you。 Don't excite tempests of heart and conscience merely to pacify your conscience and quiet your heart; now ruffled only by a tiny breeze。 No doubt between a man and a woman the sentiment of friendship does take something of the character ordinarily given to love; but such friendship is neither an impossible illusion nor is it a yawning gulf。〃

〃Then;〃 said Madame de l'Estorade; with a thoughtful air; 〃do you wish me to make a friend of Monsieur de Sallenauve?〃

〃Yes; dear; in order not to make him a fixed idea; a regret; a struggle;three things which poison life。〃

〃But my husband; who has already had a touch of jealousy?〃

〃As for your husband; I find him somewhat changed; and not for the better。 I miss that deference he always showed to you personally; to your ideas and impressions;a deference which honored him more than he thought; because there is true greatness in the power to admire。 I may be mistaken; but it seems to me that public life is spoiling him a little。 As you cannot be with him in the Chamber of peers; he is beginning to suspect that he can have a life without you。 If I were you; I should watch these symptoms of independence; and not let the work of your lifetime come to nought。〃

〃Do you know; my dear;〃 said Madame de l'Estorade; laughing; 〃that you are giving me advice that may end in fire and slaughter?〃

〃Not at all。 I am a woman forty…five years of age; who has always seen things on their practical side。 I did not marry my husband; whom I loved; until I had convinced myself; by putting him to the test; that he was worthy of my esteem。 I don't make life; I take it as it comes; trying to put order and /possibility/ into all the occurrences it brings to me。 I an neither the frenzied passion of Louise de Chaulieu; nor the insensible reason of Renee de Maucombe。 I am a Jesuit in petticoats; persuaded that rather wide sleeves are better than sleeves that are tight to the wrist; and I have never gone in search of the philosopher's stone〃

At this instant Lucas opened the door of the salon and announced;

〃Monsieur le Comte de Sallenauve。〃

His mistress gave him a look inquiring why he had disobeyed her orders; to which Lucas replied by a sign implying that he did not suppose the prohibition applied in this instance。

Madame de Camps; who had never yet seen the new deputy; now gave her closest attention to a study of him。

Sallenauve explained his visit by his great desire to know how matters had gone at Ville d'Avray; and whether Marie…Gaston had been deeply affected by his return there。 As for the business which deta

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