"Gone! gone! she is going to pass a few days in the country; what is there so surprising in that?"
"Ah! Marcel," said Madame Thierry, "you see, you don't know——"
"I do not wish to know anything outside of the serious matters which require all my attention," Marcel replied with decision. "I have heard to-day many foolish remarks, offensive insinuations and impertinent comments. I prefer to believe none of them and to remember none of them. The name of Madame Julie d'Estrelle is sacred to me; but I have advised her to disappear for a few days."
"To disappear?" echoed Julien, still in dire distress.
"Parbleu! one would think we were in Madrid and that she had been immuned for life in a convent cell! What is the cause of this tragic mood? I simply urged her to pretend to be dead for a week or two, long enough to settle her affairs and find out where she stands. Let us keep quiet and show neither anxiety nor displeasure on account of her absence. Let us not stir up the marchioness's evil designs, which Monsieur Antoine's intervention has blocked to some extent for the moment. Above all, let us make sure that Julie does not lose the rich old fellow's protection and esteem. This is no time to puzzle over the man's strange logic; the devil could not explain it. The thing to do is to make the most of it, and no one of us three must think of himself or of anything but Madame d'Estrelle's future."
Thereupon he went into detailed calculations which compelled Julien's attention. It was a matter of saving a modest competence for Julie by a little prudence, or of throwing it away by excessive pride. Her reputation was not yet compromised in society, and it was entirely unnecessary that it should be. Thus far the plot against her formed by the marchioness and Monsieur Antoine had not been executed. They had been waiting for her to provoke the explosion by an attempt to resist the dowager's claims. It was Monsieur Antoine's duty now to protect Julie against the charges of which he was the author. He alone could do it, having in his pocket weapons against the common enemy. He was inclined to do it, he was penitent after his manner, he hated the marchioness, he insisted that everything should be left to him to settle: they must simply bow their heads and wait in silence.
Julien was still ill at ease on one point. Did Monsieur Antoine propose to take full charge of Madame d'Estrelle's destiny and will-power in order to bring her to consent to the abominable idea of marrying him? Marcel was able to reassure him completely in that respect, and he gave him his word that fancy had permanently moved out of the old sphinx's brain. Finally, Julien asked Marcel if he would also give him his word that he had advised Julie to go away suddenly, if she was free to return when she chose, and if she was thoroughly convinced that her absence would be of benefit to herself and only to herself. Marcel was able to swear that all this was true.
"Of course you know where she is?" queried Julien.
"I do know; but I cannot tell anyone; she made me promise. If she desires to confide her whereabouts to anybody else, she will write; but as she is very anxious that Monsieur Antoine and the dowager should not know, I think that it will be best for her to have no other confidant but me. Now that all this is cleared up, let me tell you what Monsieur Antoine proposes to give you by way of indemnity for the lease."
"One moment!" said Julien; "was this indemnity demanded, insisted upon by Madame d'Estrelle? Was it not the price of some new torture inflicted on her pride, of some sort of sacrifice on her part?"