"You deepen too much the shadows of the picture, godmother; you may step out of the fearful circle of which you speak, and go, with proud and elevated forehead, to the altar with M. de Morville, and pass with him afterwards a joyous and honoured existence." "Oh! silence! silence!" "And that, too, without making him perjure his oath, without making him culpable with his mother, for she would invoke blessings on the union which you might form with joy, without shame, without crime, by resting quiet and awaiting events, provoking nothing, doing no' thing, knowing nothing!" "Oh, silence! silence!" "Not even encouraging by a hypocritical word the ferocious and interested vengeance of M. de Brévannes, being always calmly polite to him. All is provided, for the Black Book will speak for you; the Black Book will say that in order to render your marriage possible hereafter, M. de Brévannes must not be suspected of loving you, and having calculated upon the vengeance which he will have drawn down on the prince and Bertha. It will also spare you attentions which, if noticed in the world, might arouse M. de Morville's jealousy--I tell you all has been provided for, carefully provided for, godmother." "_Mon Dieu! mon Dieu!_ deliver me from this infamous creature!" "So that after the tragic event," continued Iris, imperturbably, "M. de Brévannes could have no reproach to cast upon you, and you would close your door upon him without a word of explanation. Brévannes will be furious, but what can he say or do? The Black Book is in my hand-writing; he has not even a note of yours; besides, if he dared to complain, he must first confess the shameless calculations with which he almost provoked his own dishonour, in order to be justified in killing his wife and your husband. But he dares not, for he would inspire as much contempt as horror. Don't you think so, godmother?" "Leave me, I tell you; go--go--you horrify me!" "Mon Dieu! What am I doing beyond exposing to you the good and the ill? Now you are free--choose!" "Monster! you know very well the drift of such language, and the criminal hopes which you evoke before my thoughts!" "Am I a monster to bid you choose between good and ill? Is virtue then so terrible a thing to practise that it costs as many tears as crime?" "Heaven have mercy upon me!" "One last word, godmother. I may have played on certain passions in order to prepare certain events, but it no longer depends on me to regulate their progress, for they seem to hasten, and even to-morrow it may be too late. If you are decided on the _good_, that is to say, on preventing your husband from incurring the danger that impends over him and M. de Brévannes from the mystification of which he is the dupe, act without delay--this day--this hour--this instant. One hour's delay may destroy all--that is to say, may gain every thing for the interests of your love." At this moment a valet-de-chambre entered after having knocked at the door.