“Madame,” said she, “I have done you an injury without knowing you; but, now that I have the happiness of seeing in you the most perfect virtue on earth, believe me I am sensible of the extent of my fault; I repent sincerely, and believe me, I will do all in my power to remedy it!”
She took Madame Hulot’s hand and before the lady could do anything to hinder her, she kissed it respectfully, even humbling herself to bend one knee. Then she rose, as proud as when she stood on the stage in the part of Mathilde, and rang the bell.
“Go on horseback,” said she to the man-servant, “and kill the horse if you must, to find little Bijou, Rue Saint-Maur-du-Temple, and bring her here. Put her into a coach and pay the coachman to come at a gallop. Do not lose a moment—or you lose your place.
“Madame,” she went on, coming back to the Baroness, and speaking to her in respectful tones, “you must forgive me. As soon as the Duc d’Herouville became my protector, I dismissed the Baron, having heard that he was ruining his family for me. What more could I do? In an actress’ career a protector is indispensable from the first day of her appearance on the boards. Our salaries do not pay half our expenses; we must have a temporary husband. I did not value Monsieur Hulot, who took me away from a rich man, a conceited idiot. Old Crevel would undoubtedly have married me—”
“So he told me,” said the Baroness, interrupting her.
“Well, then, you see, madame, I might at this day have been an honest woman, with only one legitimate husband!”
“You have many excuses, mademoiselle,” said Adeline, “and God will take them into account. But, for my part, far from reproaching you, I came, on the contrary, to make myself your debtor in gratitude—”
“Madame, for nearly three years I have provided for Monsieur le Baron’s necessities—”
“You?” interrupted the Baroness, with tears in her eyes. “Oh, what can I do for you? I can only pray—”
“I and Monsieur le Duc d’Herouville,” the singer said, “a noble soul, a true gentleman—” and Josepha related the settling and marriage of Monsieur Thoul.