"I regret, for the sake of your happiness, dear child, that I ever called you to Paris. Had you not come, you would now be living peacefully at Vaucouleurs, away from this center of trouble and strife." At this instant Agnes the Bigot re-entered, preceding a person whom she announced, saying: "Dame Maillart has come, she assures me, in order to render you a great service. She wishes to speak to you without delay." "I do not wish to see her!" cried Marguerite, impatiently. "I detest the sight of that woman. I refuse to receive her!" "Madam, she says she came to render you a great service," answered the servant, sorry for having involuntarily crossed her mistress' wishes. "I thought I was doing right to allow her to come up; it is now unfortunately too late----" Indeed, Petronille Maillart appeared at that moment at the door of the room. Triumphant and barely controlled hatred betrayed itself in the looks that the councilman's wife cast upon Marguerite. But assuming a mild and kind voice she approached the object of her envy. "Good evening, Dame Marcel; good evening, poor Dame Marcel." "This affectation of sympathy conceals some odious perfidy," thought Denise, whose face was still wet with tears. "I do not like to afford this wicked woman the spectacle of my sorrow." The young maid left the room, together with the servant. Alone with the councilman's wife, Marguerite addressed her dryly: "I am greatly astonished to see you here, madam; our friendly relations must cease." "I understand your astonishment, poor Dame Marguerite, seeing we have not met since the day of the funeral of Perrin Macé. Oh, Master Marcel's popularity was then immense; people called him then the King of Paris ... they swore by him ... he was looked upon as the saviour of the city----" "Madam, I beg you to speak less of the past and more of the present.... Make your visit short. What do you want of me?" "First of all to beg you to forget the little quarrel we two had on the day of the funeral of Perrin Macé. Next I come to render a great service to poor Master Marcel." "My husband excites nobody's pity ... he does not need your services." "Alack! I wish I could leave you in that error, Dame Marguerite. But I must tell you the truth, and inform you, seeing you are not aware of it, that you no longer are the 'Queen of Paris' as you were in the days when Master Marcel was the King. Even at the risk of wounding your legitimate pride, I must add against my will that your husband's position has become desperate.... I feel distressed at the sorrow that overwhelms you----" "Your excellent heart is unnecessarily alarmed, Dame Petronille. Do not mind my sorrow." "Unfortunately, however, I am certain of what I say." "Madame, I greatly mistrust both your protestations and your confidences." "You do not seem to be informed on what is transpiring in Paris." "I know that there are wicked and envious people in Paris."