I heard the maid; the poor girl was standing behind my chair and had been talking to me for a long time, for all that I knew.
“What do you want?”
“Will not monsieur dine? It is after six o’clock; that is why I ventured—I was afraid that monsieur was ill.”
“No, thanks, I will not dine. But what did my daughter say when she went away? What did she do, poor child?”
“Oh! she wanted to carry her doll, monsieur, but her mother would not let her; she told her that she would buy her another one.”
“Is that all?”
“Then Mamzelle Henriette said: ‘Why don’t we wait for papa before we go to ride?’”
“Dear child, she thought of me!”
Those words did me good. I came to my senses. Eugénie had not said where she was going, but I could learn through her banker. I simply must know, and then we would see if she would refuse to give me back my daughter. I cast my weakness behind me and thought only of avenging myself on Dulac. I knew where he would be that evening. I was to take madame there. But suppose that she had written to him, suppose she had informed him of what had taken place? But no, her first thought had been to fly.
I asked the maid if madame had written any other letters; she did not know. Ah! if Dulac should escape me that evening! It was nearly seven o’clock, so I dressed to go out. To go into society! to pretend to be calm, to smile, when my heart was torn! But it would not be for long, I hoped.