"What good will that do? Suppose we should find a party that suited us and Ernestine, isn't the marquis, by his sneers and sarcasms, quite capable of inspiring the innocent girl with an aversion for the very person we want her to marry? And it is not only here, in this house, that he can play us this shameful trick,--and many others that he is capable of concocting,--but he can do it anywhere and everywhere he meets Ernestine, for we cannot hide her. We shall be obliged to take her out into society." "Is it this that you fear most? I should be of the same opinion, perhaps, if--" "Do you suppose I know what I fear? I would a hundred times rather have some real danger to contend with, no matter how threatening it might be, for then I should at least know what the danger was, and perhaps contrive to escape it, while now the marquis will keep us in a state of perplexity that may cause us to commit a thousand blunders, and hamper us in every way. Consequently there is nothing for us to do but look the situation straight in the face and say to ourselves: 'Here is a man of wonderful discernment and diabolical cleverness, who sees, or will endeavour to see and know, all that we do, and who, unfortunately, has a thousand means of attaining his ends, while we have no means whatever of escaping his surveillance.'" "I am more and more convinced that the opinion I expressed a short time ago is a just and correct one," said the baron, complacently. "What opinion?" "That the marquis is an abominable scoundrel." "Good evening, monsieur," said Madame de la Rochaigue, wrathfully, starting towards the door. "What, you are going like that when we are in such desperate straits, and without coming to any decision!" "Decision about what?" "Why, about what we shall do in the matter." "I know one thing!" exclaimed Madame de la Rochaigue, completely beside herself, and stamping her foot angrily, "this abominable hunchback has demoralised me completely, and you--you finish by utterly stupefying me with your asinine remarks." And Madame de la Rochaigue flounced out of the room, slamming the door violently in the baron's very face. During the conversation between Madame de la Rochaigue and M. de Maillefort, Helena had taken Mlle. de Beaumesnil back to her own room. As she was about to leave the young girl she said: "Sleep well, my dear Ernestine, and pray to the Saviour that he will not allow the face of that frightful M. de Maillefort to trouble your dreams." "I really don't know why it is, mademoiselle, but he almost terrifies me." "The feeling is very natural," replied the devotee, gently; "more natural than you suppose, for if you knew--" As Helena paused, the young girl said: "You did not finish, mademoiselle." "There are some things which it pains one to say against one's neighbour, even though he may deserve it," remarked the devotee, with a saintly air. "This M. de Maillefort--" "Well, mademoiselle?"