"Ah! ah!" said Marillac, with interest, "the one who was turned away from the chateau?" "Yes, and they did well to do it, too; he is a downright bad man." "He is the one who told you something about Madame de Bergenheim. Tell me the story. Your mother interrupted us yesterday just as you began telling it to me.--What was it that he said?" "Oh! falsehoods probably. One can not believe anything that he says." "But what did he tell you?" "What difference does it make to you what is said about the Baroness?" replied the young girl, rather spitefully, as she saw that Marillac was not occupied in thinking of her exclusively. "Pure curiosity. He told you then that he would tell the Baron what he knew, and that the latter would give him plenty of money to make him keep silent?" "It makes no difference what he told me. Ask him if you wish to know. Why did you not stay at the chateau if you can think only of the Baroness? Are you in love with her?" "I am in love with you, my dear. [The devil take me if she is not jealous now! How shall I make her talk?] I am of the same opinion as you," he replied, in a loud voice, "that all this talk of Lambernier's is pure calumny." "There is no doubt about it. He is well known about the place; he has a wicked tongue and watches everything that one does or says in order to report it at cross-purposes. Mon Dieu! suppose he should make some story out of his seeing me enter these woods!" "Madame de Bergenheim," continued the artist, with affectation, "is certainly far above the gossip of a scoundrel of this kind." Reine pursed up her lips, but made no reply. "She has too many good qualities and virtues for people to believe anything he says." "Oh, as to that, there are hypocrites among the Parisian ladies as well as elsewhere," said the young girl, with a sour look. "Bless me!" thought Marillac, "we have it now. I'd wager my last franc that I'll loosen her tongue." "Madame de Bergenheim," he replied, emphasizing each word, "is such a good woman, so sensible and so pretty!" "Mon Dieu! say that you love her at once, then--that'll be plain talk," exclaimed Reine, suddenly disengaging herself from the arm which was still about her waist. "A great lady who has her carriages and footmen in livery is a conquest to boast of! While a country girl, who has only her virtue--" She lowered her eyes with an air of affected modesty, and did not finish her sentence. "A virtue which grants a rendezvous at the end of three days' acquaintance, and in the depths of the woods! That is amusing!" thought the artist. "Still, you will not be the first of the fine lady's lovers," she continued, raising her head and trying to conceal her vexation under an ironical air. "These are falsehoods." "Falsehoods, when I tell you that I know what I am speaking about! Lambernier is not a liar."