"But think of seeing your wife weep, M. Gerald. Your mother has your affection to console her, while your wife, poor orphan that she is, who will console her? No one, or perhaps she will do as so many other women do,--console herself with lovers who are inferior to you in every way. They will torment her, they will disgrace her, perhaps,--another chance of misery for the poor creature!" The young duke's head drooped, and he answered not a word. "You asked us to be frank with you, M. Gerald," continued the commander, "and we are, because we love you sincerely." "I did not doubt that you would be perfectly frank with me, so I ought to be equally so, and say in my defence that in consenting to this marriage I was influenced by another and not altogether ungenerous sentiment. You remember that I spoke of Macreuse, the other day, Olivier?" "That miserable wretch who put little birds' eyes out with pins!" cried the veteran, upon whom this incident had evidently made a deep impression, "that hypocrite who is now a hanger-on of the clergy?" "The same, commander. Well, he is one of the aspirants for Mlle. de Beaumesnil's hand." "Macreuse!" exclaimed Olivier. "Poor girl, but he has no chance of success, has he?" "My mother says not, but I fear that he has; for the Church supports Macreuse's claims, and the Church is very powerful." "Such a scoundrel as that succeed!" cried the old officer. "It would be shameful!" "And it was because I was so indignant at the idea that, already touched by my mother's disappointment, I consented to the marriage partly in order to circumvent that wretch, Macreuse." "But afterwards, M. Gerald, you reflected, did you not, that an honourable man like yourself does not marry merely to please his mother and circumvent a rival, even if that rival is a Macreuse?" "What, commander!" exclaimed Gerald, evidently much surprised. "Do you think it would be better to allow this wretch to marry Mlle. de Beaumesnil, when he wants her only for her money?" "Nothing of the kind," answered the veteran, warmly. "One should always prevent a crime when one can, and if I were in your place, M. Gerald--" "What would you do, commander?" "I would go first to M. Macreuse, and say to him: 'You are a scoundrel, and as scoundrels should not be allowed to marry women to make them miserable all their lives, I forbid you to marry Mlle. de Beaumesnil, and I will prevent you from marrying her; I do not know her, I have no intention of marrying her myself, but I take an interest in her because she is in some danger of becoming your wife. As that, in my opinion, would be infinitely worse for her than if she were going to be bitten by a mad dog, I intend to warn her that you are worse than a mad dog.'" "That would be doing exactly right, uncle, exactly!" cried Olivier. But Gerald motioned him not to interrupt the veteran, who continued: