She believed herself to be alone, but turned around suddenly at the sound of footsteps, and found herself face to face with Madeleine, who was pale and swollen-eyed with weeping.
“You must obey this man, aunt,” she quietly said.
Adjoining the parlor was a little card-room separated only by a heavy silk curtain, instead of a door.
Madeleine was sitting in this little room when the marquis arrived, and, as there was no egress save through the parlor, had remained, and thus overheard the conversation.
“Good Heaven!” cried Mme. Fauvel with terror, “do you know——”
“I know everything, aunt.”
“And you wish me to sacrifice you to this fiend?”
“I implore you to let me save you from misery.”
“You certainly despise and hate M. de Clameran; how can you think I would let you marry him?”
“I do despise him, aunt, and shall always regard him as the basest of men; nevertheless I will marry him.”