〃Ah！　this　is　too　much！〃　cried　Monsieur　de　Lanty；　reopening　the　drawer　from　which　he　had　taken　the　portfolio；　and　taking　out　a　packet　of　letters　tied　with　a　rose…colored　ribbon。　〃I　think　these　will　put　an　end　to　your　/misunderstanding/。〃
  I　looked　at　the　letters；　they　were　not　postmarked；　and　simply　bore　my　name；　Monsieur　Dorlange；　in　a　woman's　handwriting；　which　was　unknown　to　me。
  〃Monsieur；〃　I　said；　〃you　know　more　than　I　do；　you　have　in　your　possession　letters　that　seem　to　belong　to　me；　but　which　I　have　never　received。〃
  〃Upon　my　word；〃　cried　Monsieur　de　Lanty；　〃you　are　an　admirable　comedian；　I　never　saw　innocence　better　played。〃
  〃But；　monsieur；〃　I　said；　〃who　wrote　those　letters；　and　why　are　they　addressed　to　me？〃
  〃It　is　useless　to　deny　them；　monsieur；〃　said　Madame　de　Lanty；　〃Marianina　has　confessed　all。〃
  〃Mademoiselle　Marianina！〃　I　exclaimed。　〃Then　the　matter　is　very　simple；　have　the　goodness　to　bring　us　together；　let　me　hear　from　her　lips　the　explanation　of　this　singular　affair。〃
  〃The　evasion　is　clever；〃　replied　Monsieur　de　Lanty；　〃but　my　daughter　is　no　longer　here：　she　is　in　a　convent；　forever　sheltered　from　your　intrigues　and　the　dangers　of　her　own　ridiculous　passion。　If　that　is　what　you　came　to　know；　all　is　said。　Let　us　part；　for　my　patience　and　moderation　have　a　limit；　if　your　insolence　has　none。〃
  〃Monsieur！〃　I　began；　angrily；　but　Madame　de　Lanty；　who　was　standing　behind　her　husband；　made　me　a　gesture　as　if　she　would　fall　upon　her　knees；　and　reflecting　that　perhaps　Marianina's　future　depended　on　the　attitude　I　now　took；　I　controlled　myself　and　left　the　room　without　further　words。
  The　next　morning；　before　I　was　out　of　bed；　the　Abbe　Fontanon　was　announced　to　me。　When　he　entered　he　proved　to　be　a　tall　old　man　with　a　bilious　skin　and　a　sombre；　stern　expression；　which　he　tried　to　soften　by　a　specious　manner　and　a　show　of　gentle　but　icy　obsequiousness。
  〃Monsieur；〃　he　said；　〃Madame　la　Comtesse　de　Lanty；　whose　confessor　I　have　the　honor　to　be；　requests　me　to　give　you　a　few　explanations；　to　which　you　have　an　incontestable　right；　as　to　the　scene　that　took　place　last　evening　between　her　husband　and　yourself。〃
  〃I　am　ready　to　listen　to　you；　monsieur；〃　I　replied。
  〃Monsieur　de　Lanty；〃　continued　the　abbe；　〃is　a　bad　sleeper；　and　one　night　last　summer　he　was　awakened　by　the　sound　of　cautious　steps。　He　opened　his　door；　and　called　out　to　know　who　was　there。　He　was　not　mistaken；　some　one　was　there；　but　did　not　answer；　and　disappeared　before　Monsieur　de　Lanty　could　obtain　a　light。　At　first　it　was　thought　to　be　an　attempt　at　robbery；　but　on　further　inquiry　it　appeared　that　a　/gentleman/　had　taken　a　room　in　the　neighborhood；　and　had　frequently　been　seen　in　company　with　Mademoiselle　Marianina；in　short；　the　matter　concerned　a　love　affair　and　not　a　robbery。　Monsieur　de　Lanty　has　long　watched　his　daughter；　whose　ardent　inclinations　have　given　him　much　anxiety；　you　yourself；　monsieur；　caused　him　some　uneasiness　in　Rome〃
  〃Very　needless；　Monsieur　l'abbe；〃　I　said；　interrupting　him。
  〃Yes。　I　know　that　your　relations　to　Mademoiselle　de　Lanty　have　always　been　perfectly　proper　and　becoming。　But　since　their　return　to　Paris　another　individual　has　occupied　her　mind；a　bold　and　enterprising　man；　capable　of　risking　everything　to　compromise　and　thus　win　an　heiress。　Being　taxed　with　having　encouraged　this　man　and　allowed　these　nocturnal　interviews；　Mademoiselle　de　Lanty　at　first　denied　everything。　Then；　evidently　fearing　that　her　father；　a　violent　man；　would　take　some　steps　against　her　lover；　she　threw　herself　at　his　feet　and　admitted　the　visits；　but　denied　that　the　visitor　was　the　man　her　father　named　to　her。　At　first　she　refused　obstinately　to　substitute　another　name　for　the　one　she　disavowed。　After　some　days　passed　in　this　struggle；　she　finally　confessed　to　her　mother；　under　a　pledge　of　secrecy；　that　her　father　was　right　in　his　suspicions；　but　she　dreaded　the　results　to　the　family　if　she　acknowledged　the　truth　to　him。　The　man　in　question　was　a　noted　duellist；　and　her　father　and　brother　would　surely　bring　him　to　account　for　his　conduct。　It　was　then；　monsieur；　that　the　idea　occurred　to　this　imprudent　girl　to　substitute　another　name　for　that　of　her　real　lover。〃
  〃Ah！　I　understand；〃　I　said；　〃the　name　of　a　nobody；　an　artist；　a　sculptor；　or　some　insignificant　individual　of　that　kind。〃
  〃You　do　Mademoiselle　de　Lanty　injustice　by　that　remark；〃　replied　the　abbe。　〃What　decided　her　to　make　your　name　a　refuge　against　the　dangers　she　foresaw　was　the　fact　that　Monsieur　de　Lanty　had　formerly　had　suspicions　about　you；　and　she　thought　that　circumstance　gave　color　to　her　statement。〃
  〃But；　Monsieur　l'abbe；〃　I　said；　〃how　do　you　explain　those　letters；　that　portfolio；　which　her　father　produced　yesterday？〃
  〃That　again　was　an　invention　of　Marianina；　and　I　may　add　that　this　duplicity　assures　me　that　had　she　remained　in　the　world　her　future　might　have　been　terrible。〃
  〃Am　I　to　suppose　that　this　tale　has　been　told　you　by　Madame　de　Lanty？〃
  〃Confided　to　me；　monsieur；　yes。　You　yourself　saw　Madame　de　Lanty's　desire　to　stop　your　explanations　yesterday；　lest　the　truth　might　appear　to　her　husband。　I　am　requested　by　her　to　thank　you　for　your　connivancepassive；　of　coursein　this　pious　falsehood。　She　felt　that　she　could　only　show　her　profound　gratitude　by　telling　you　the　whole　truth　and　relying　upon　your　discretion。〃
  〃Where　is　Mademoiselle　Marianina？〃
  〃As　Monsieur　de　Lanty　told　you；　in　a　convent　in　Italy。　To　avoid　scandal；　it　was　thought　best　to　send　her　to　some　safe　retreat。　Her　own　conduct　will　decide　her　future。〃
  Now　what　do　you　think　of　that　history？　Does　it　not　seem　to　you　very　improbable？　Here　are　two　explanations　which　have　each　come　into　my　mind　with　the　force　of　a　conviction。　First；　Marianina's　brother　has　just　married　into　a　grand…ducal　family　of　Germany。　Immense　sacrifices　must　have　been　required　of　the　de　Lanty　family　to　make　such　an　alliance。　Was　Marianina's　/dot/；　and　the　fortune　she　inherited　from　that　old　grand…uncle；　required　to　pay　the　costs　of　that　princely　union？　Secondly；　did　Marianina　really　feel　an　attachment　for　me？　And　did　she；　in　a　girlish　way；　express　it　on　those　letters　which　she　never　sent？　To　punish　her；　had　her　parents　sent　her　to　a　convent？　And　to　disgust　me；　and　throw　me　off　the　track；　had　the　mother　invented　this　history　of　another　love　in　which　she　seemed　to　make　me　play　so　mortifying　a　part？
  I　may　add　that　the　intervention　of　the　Abbe　Fontanon　authorizes　such　an　interpretation。　I　have　made　inquiries　about　him；　and　I　find　he　is　one　of　those　mischievous　priests　who　worm　themselves　into　the　confidence　of　families　for　their　own　ends；　he　has　already　destroyed　the　harmony　of　one　home；that　of　Monsieur　de　Granville；　attorney…　general　of　the　royal　court　of　Paris　under　the　Restoration。
  As　to　the　truth　or　falsehood　of　these　suppositions　I　know　nothing；　and；　in　all　probability；　shall　continue　to　know　nothing。　But；　as　you　can　easily　understand；　the　thought　of　Marianina　is　a　luminous　point　to　which　my　eye　is　forever　attached。　Shall　I　love　her？　Shall　I　hate　her　and　despise　her？　That　is　the　question　perpetually　in　my　mind。　Uncertainty　of　that　kind　is　far　more　certain　to　fix　a　woman　in　a　man's　soul　than　to　dislodge　her。
  Well；　to　sum　up　in　two　brief　sentences　my　reply　to　your　warnings：　As　for　the　opinion　of　Monsieur　Bixiou；　I　care　as　little　for　it　as　for　last　year's　roses；　and　as　for　that　other　danger　which　you　fear；　I　cannot　tell　you　whether　I　love　Marianina　or　not；　but　this　I　know；　I　do　/not/　love　Madame　de　l'Estorade。　That；　I　think；　is　giving　you　a　plain　and　honest　answer。　And　now；　let　us　leave　our　master　the　Future　to　do　what　he　likes。
  XI
  THE　COMTESSE　DE　L'ESTORADE　TO　MADAME　OCTAVE　DE　CAMPS
  Paris；　May；　1839。
  Monsieur　Dorlange　came　last　evening　to　take　leave　of　us。　He　starts　to…day　for　Arcis…sur…Aube；　where　the　ceremony　of　inaugurating　/his/　statue　takes　place。　That　is　also　the　place　selected　by　the　Opposition　journals　for　his　candidacy。　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade　declares　that　the　locality　could　not　have　been　worse　chosen；　and　that　it　leaves　his　election　without　a　chance。
  Monsieur　Dorlange　paid　his　visit　early。　I　was　alone。　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade　was　dining　with　the　Minister　of　the　Interior；　and　the　children　were　in　bed。　The　conversation　interrupted　by　Madame　de　la　Bastie　could　now　be　renewed；　as　I　was　about　to　ask　him　to　continue　the　history；　of　which　he　had　only　told　me　the　last　words；　when　our　old　Lucas　brought　me　a　letter。　It　was　from　my　Armand；　to　let　me　know　that　he　had　been　ill　since　morning；　and　was　then　in　the　infirmary。
  〃Order　the　carriage；〃　I　said　to　Lucas；　in　a　state　of　agitation　you　can　easily　conceive。
  〃But；　madame；〃　replied　Lucas；　〃monsieur　has　ordered　the　carriage　to　fetch　him　at　half…past　nine　o'clock；　and　Tony　has　already　started。〃
  〃Then　send　for　a　cab。〃
  〃I　don't　know　that　I　can　find　one；〃　said　our　old　servant；　who　is　a　man　of　difficulties；　〃it　is　beginning　to　rain。〃
  Without　noticing　that　remark　and　without　thinking　of　Monsieur　Dorlange；　I　went　hastily　to　my　room　to　put　on　my　bonnet　and　shawl。　That　done；　I　returned　to　the　salon；　where　my　visitor　still　remained。
  〃You　must　excuse　me；　monsieur；〃　I　said　to　him；　〃for　leaving　you　so　abruptly。　I　must　hasten　to　the　Henri　I