Madame de Treymes

alrive concurred, that it would be well for him to leave Paris while the preliminary negotiations were going on. He committed her interests to the best professional care, and his mother, resigning h

nny de Malrive; but it was a part of her acceptance of life on a general basis of innocence and kindliness, that she entered generously into

duced it to a formality; and when, at the end of June, Durham returned from Italy with Katy and Nannie,

pite of her gladness in his return, so evidently preoccupied and distressed that his first thought was one of fear for their own future. But she

s since we left Turin

as been some terrible scandal about money and he

Treymes has lef

to their place in Brittany, and as my mother-in-law is with another daughter in Auvergne, Chris

is what sh

dverse circumstances, Madame de Treymes would be likely to occupy her

but pity. She is suffering so horribly that I re

f her hand; then he said, after a pause

only an added reason for steeling himself in his moral resistance to it. But now that he had gained his point-and through her own generosity, as it still appeared-the largeness of her attitude made his own seem cramped and petty. Since conduct, in the last resort, must be judged by its enlarging or diminishing effect on character, might it not be that the zealous weighing of the m

you should want to show her your sympathy. The difficulty is that it is just the one thing y

rds," he admitted, guiltily conscious that his capability of dealing wi

tated. "I can tell her; and

ame de Malrive's future husband. Even on this occasion, he had not come to her alone; Nannie Durham, in the adjoining room, was chatting conspicuously with the little Marquis, whom she could with difficulty be restrained from teaching to call her "Aunt Nannie." Durham thought her voice had risen unduly once or twice

moment on her way out to speak with Nannie, without expecting to be surprised by her sister-in-law's other visitor. But he

e that might have spread over it from her fevered eyes. Durham, accustomed to the pale inward grief of the inexpressive races, was positively star

went, more than ever inclined to extremities of self-disgust. With him such sensations required, for his own relief, some imm

counted on at such moments, responded by layi

our charge for two minutes? I have promised N

losed on the other ladies she said, looking quietly at Durham: "I don't think that,

s not for that reason that Madame de

t of preserving appearances, since sh

asked her to. I told her

d what reason can you have

you imagine? The desire to th

ng to adjust her hat before t

r what I h

f you regretted i

face. "Regret working for the happiness of two such excellent persons? Can't you fa

o her, drawing down the hand which sti

much one of the persons of whom

persons? Do

r resolutely. "I mean myself, as you know. You

good cause. You have made me se

"I am here to let you say

of deprecation. "Has it never occurred to you

e advance. She met him, parried him, at every turn: he had

I am aware I must make the most of this oppor

your opportunity, i

ion that seemed, on a closer approach, the real obstacle to full expression. But the moments were flying

detaining you: it is that I may still sho

door, paused at this and faced him, resting

e to show that sen

e had to say of the utmost difficulty. Well! he would let his expiation take that form, then-it was

and to the utmost-any service you

princely. But, my dear sir, does it not occur to you that I may, meanwhile, have taken m

t chill of apprehension. Was she threatening him or only mocking him? Or was this barbed swiftness of retort only the wounded

disinterested-but I am sure, at least, that you have given me n

lly," she continued, keeping her eyes fixed on his, "that if I were to accept any farther service you might choose to offer, I should simply be robbing you-robbing yo

it comprehended them both. At any rate, he chose to overlook his own share in it in replying earnestly

nued to smile, elusively, ambiguously. "And what

u know?" h

nce before; and this is

l go away unhappy unless you tell me-but th

the evident intention of bringing their conference to a c

it is in the contemplation of your h