Vandyke Brown thought it was all right, too, as he talked the matter
over with Jaune after little Conte Crayon had gone. But Jaune refused
to be comforted. So far as the public was concerned he admitted that
Conte Crayon's story had saved him, but he was oppressed by a great
dread of what might be the effect of the truth upon Rose. For Juane
d'Antimoine was too honest a gentleman even to think of deceiving his
mistress. He must tell her the whole story, without reserve, and as she
approved or disapproved of what he had done must his hopes of happiness
live or die.
"Better have it out with her to-day, and be done with it," counseled
Brown.
"Ah! it is well for you to speak of a 'urry, my good Van; but it is not
you who go to execute your life. No, I 'ave not the force to go to-day.
To-day I go to make a long walk. Then this night I sleep well.
Tomorrow, in the morning, do I go to affront my destiny." And from this
resolution Jaune was not to be moved.
Yet it was an unfortunate resolution, for it gave the Count Siccatif de
Courtray time and opportunity for a flank movement. In the Count's
breast rage and astonishment contended for the mastery as he
contemplated the curious miscarriage of his newspaper assault. He had
chosen this line of attack partly because his modesty counseled him to
keep his own personality in the background, partly because the wider
the publicity of his rival's disgrace the more complete would that
disgrace be. But as his newspaper ally failed him, he took the campaign
into his own hands; that is to say, he hurried to tell the true story,
and a good deal more than the true story, to Rose and Madame Carthame.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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