"At your grace's service."
"I am sure that it is you who ruin my wife with your infernal and dazzling temptations," said Lucenay.
"Her grace has only had her diamonds reset this winter," said the jeweler, slightly embarrassed. "I have this moment left them with her grace, on my way here."
Saint Remy knew that Madame de Lucenay, to assist him, had changed her diamonds for false ones; this conversation was very disagreeable to him, but he said boldly, "How curious these husbands are! do not answer, M. Baudoin."
"Curious! goodness, no," answered the duke; "my wife pays; she is richer than I am."
During this conversation, Baudoin had displayed on a bureau several admirable necklaces of rubies and diamonds.
"How splendid! how divinely the stones are cut!" said Lord Douglas.
"Alas! my lord," answered the jeweler, "I employed in this work one of the best artisans in Paris; unfortunately, he has gone mad, and I shall never find his equal. My broker tells me that it is probably misery which has turned his brain, poor man."
"Misery! you confide diamonds to a man in poverty!"
"Certainly, my lord, and I have never known an instance of an artisan concealing or secreting anything confided to him, however poor he might be."