“I understand,” said she, quietly, “that you named the terms on which you would abandon this project,—is it not so?”
“Who told you that?” cried he, angrily. “Is this another specimen of the delicacy with which ministers treat a person of my station?”
“To discuss that point, Count, would lead us wide of our mark. Am I to conclude that my informant was correct?”
“How can I tell what may have been reported to you?” said he, almost rudely.
“You shall hear and judge for yourself,” was the calm answer. “Count Kollorath informed me that you offered to abandon this marriage on condition that you were appointed to the command of the Pahlen Hussars.”
The young man's face became scarlet with shame, and he tried twice to speak, but unavailingly.
With a merciless slowness of utterance, and a manner of the most unmoved sternness, she went on: “I did not deem the proposal at all exorbitant. It was a price that they could well afford to pay.”
“Well, they refused me,” said he, bluntly.
“Not exactly refused you,” said she, more gently. “They reminded you of the necessity of conforming—of at least appearing to conform—to the rules of the service; that you had only been a few months in command of a squadron; that your debts, which were considerable, had been noised about the world, so that a little time should elapse, and a favorable opportunity present itself, before this promotion could be effected.”
“How correctly they have instructed you in all the details of this affair!” said he, with a scornful smile.