“And yet it was all agreed upon. I have acted wholly under your urgent, pressing advice. How many times have you repeated to me that to live with your husband had become an intolerable torment to you! How many times have you sworn to me that you wished to be mine alone, begging me to procure a large sum of money, and to fly with you!”
“I was in earnest at the time. I have discovered, at the last moment, that it would be impossible for me thus to abandon my country, my daughter, my friends.”
“We can take Cesarine with us.”
“Do not insist.”
He was looking at her with a stupid, gloomy gaze.
“Then,” he stammered, “those tears, those prayers, those oaths!”
“I have reflected.”
“It is not possible! If you spoke the truth, you would not be here.”
“I am here to make you understand that we must give up projects which cannot be realized. There are some social conventionalities which cannot be torn up.” As if he scarcely understood what she said, he repeated,
“Social conventionalities!”