"Mornand is too much of a milksop—too blubbery, in short, to make any attempt to recover from his setback or even to console himself by revenge."
"Revenge? Upon whom?"
"Upon that little ninny of an heiress, and indirectly upon that d—d hunchback. But let me assure you that I am not one of those blockheads who thirst for revenge alone; it is a profitable revenge I am after every time."
"Profitable?"
"Yes, very profitable, and I can furnish the materials for it, too."
"You? And what are your materials, pray?"
"Excuse me. I possess a very valuable secret."
"In relation to Mlle. de Beaumesnil?"
"The same. I can work up this valuable secret alone, however, just as well."
"And yet you offer—"