“No, no,” said she, throwing off her bonnet and sinking into a chair. “I’m only tired! It’s a long walk from my place here; and then it is very hot to-day. But, Eugenie,” she said abruptly, changing her tone, “I came this morning to tell you about Edmond.”
“What of him?” said the other sharply, turning full upon her.
“Dear Eugenie, the fact is, I could not restrain myself longer—I should not be acting truly by you or him, if I did so. You know you love him still.”
The face of the French-woman flushed slightly; her head was thrown back with a haughty curve of the neck.
“Ah, no,” said the woman, interrupting her quickly as she was about to speak.
“No nonsense, Eugenie; you remember that proud as you are, you loved him well enough to risk the loss of your social position for him. You never loved any one as well since, and never will again; and I know that he loves you, and you only, to this hour. It was your pride caused the separation, it is your pride that has reduced him so low as to become, in sheer despair, the victim of such a sapless, bodiless, dry and sharp-set speculator, as this Jeannette! Why, would you believe it, she has tormented him at last into a promise to marry her!”
“What!” said the other, springing to her feet; “what! marry that starvling! Edmond marry that pauper adventuress, after having loved me! Pshaw! Marie, you are mistaken. He only tells her this to get rid of her importunities. He’s trifling with her: he’s not in earnest—he can’t be—he’s too proud: and besides, his father would disinherit him!”
“Sit down and keep cool, Eugenie. I am not mistaken; so far from it, that every day he comes to me, grievously bewailing his hard fate, in having so far committed himself to Jeannette, whom he curses, while he mourns over this obdurate pride of yours, in refusing to see him again. He says if he could only see you once more he would be strong enough to break with Jeannette forever. I’ve shown him how he could easily buy her off, in case of reconciliation with you—that her object, from the first, had been simply money, and the eclat of the position it would give her abroad—and that when she had become convinced that a separation must take place, she would soon be brought to compromise her claims. Beside, the marriage is impossible; I have seen his father and his brother, and have given them some seasonable hints in regard to her; and the testy old man now swears that he will disinherit him, if he dares to marry what he considers to be little better than a common adventuress. And the brother, whom you know is the most influential of the two with the old man, is equally violent about it. So you see, my dear Eugenie, I have been working for you faithfully all the while, while you considered me as co-operating with Jeannette.”
“Yes,” said the other, who had resumed her seat quite calmly, “I dare say I did you injustice, for I had conceived all the time, that it was through you that this affair, between Jeannette and Edmond, had been brought about; that you had had some interest in it you have not thought proper to explain to me; and an explanation of which I have not chosen to ask of you. It is quite sufficient for me to know that you now desire to supplant Jeannette, and thereby undo your own work. Now, if you choose to explain to me what the object you wish to accomplish is, so that I can understand your motive, then, perhaps, we may come together in this matter—for I know you, Marie, that you never do things without a motive for yourself. Come, out with it! Has Jeannette crossed your track in any way? Has she foiled you? In a word, do you hate her now?”
“Of course I hate her now,” said the woman, “or why this visit? Why the deliberate care I have taken to prepare the way to foil her dearest schemes? She has outraged me beyond endurance by her insolent superiority. She frightens, bullies and taunts me. She has insulted me beyond the possibility of woman’s forgiveness to another! I hate her as deeply as I love revenge!”