"Your presence has renewed her grief by recalling her seducer," said Constance; "go away for a moment, and I will try to comfort her, although I am well aware that for such griefs there is no comfort. Could I enjoy a moment's happiness if Frédéric should forget me? But she has her son at least, and his caresses will allay her sorrow." Constance carried little Frédéric to his mother and placed him on her knees, while Dubourg walked quickly back to the house and joined Ménard, who did not know what to think when he saw his former travelling companion's horrified expression. "All is lost, Monsieur Ménard!" cried Dubourg, halting in front of the tutor. "What? what is lost? King Stanislas's berlin or the King of Prussia's snuff-box? You know perfectly well that I am not to be taken in in that way again." "Oh! let's hear no more of all that nonsense! This is a very serious matter, involving the happiness and peace of mind of Frédéric and his wife." "I'll bet that it's not true; you're going to tell me some new fairy tale to lead me into a trap; but _non me ludit amabilis insania_." "Will you listen to me, Monsieur Ménard? Morbleu! how could a man of your years fail to anticipate what has happened?" "What do you mean by that? a man of my years! I beg that you will explain yourself, Monsieur Dubourg." "You allow Madame de Montreville to take into her house, to install there----" "Whom, in heaven's name?" "Whom! morbleu! the girl for whom Frédéric made a fool of himself; the girl who turned his head, and with whom he lived six weeks in the woods; the girl whom he adored then, and whom, for all I know, he loves still; for a man's heart is beyond comprehension! In short, Sister Anne, the dumb girl of the woods, of Vizille, is the one whom Madame de Montreville now has in her house!" "Mon Dieu! what do I hear?" "Do you mean to say you didn't recognize her?" "Recognize her! a girl I never saw but once, and then at a distance? I don't scrutinize young women as you do, monsieur; and could I suspect, did I know, that she was dumb? did anyone tell me so? No; no one tells me anything, and then they expect me to know everything by divination! You young men are inconceivable! do you suppose I should know Latin if I had never learned it?" "Well! you know it now." "Parbleu! I was thrashed often enough to know it! Gad! how many stripes I got for the _Epitome_, and how many _pensums_ for Phædrus's fables!" "Great heaven! Monsieur Ménard, I am talking about Sister Anne, who is here in this house, with Frédéric's wife." "I understand, I understand perfectly." "When Frédéric returns, she will see him; her excitement, her tears, and her caresses will betray the truth. Just think of Madame de Montreville's feelings, when the husband whom she adores and believes to be a model of fidelity finds in his house a mistress and a child--a child, above all!" "Yes, yes; I realize all that." "Well, then, speak! what are we to do?" "I have no idea."