"Speak, my dear count."
"For a reason which I must keep secret, I wish that no one should know that I come from Khios, and consequently that I travelled from Toulon to Paris with you. I am a personage of so little importance that my name will not have been noticed on our journey. I shall stop at the next relay, make a long round to reach Fontainebleau, where I shall remain several days, and will thus arrive in Paris some time after you. All that I ask of your friendship is that you will receive favourably the request of one of my friends who will ask permission to present me to you. I should regret it keenly were I obliged to suspend an intercourse so delightful to me."
M. de Fersen, with his usual tact, made no objection, and promised all that I asked.
At the next relay, I informed Madame de Fersen that I was unfortunately obliged to take my leave of her, and delegated to the prince, who was present, the task of explaining to her why I was deprived of the pleasure of continuing the journey with her.
She gave me her hand, which I kissed.
Then I tenderly embraced Irene, throwing a sad farewell glance at her mother.
Fresh horses were put to the carriages of the prince, they started, and I remained alone.
My heart was broken.
Little by little the consciousness of having acted nobly towards Madame de Fersen soothed my mind.
I reflected that I should thus learn without in any way endangering her reputation whether Madame de Fersen felt for me a true friendship, perhaps even a more tender sentiment, or whether I owed to isolation, to idleness, and to the absence of all comparison, the interest which she had shown me.