But Algaé, the large-hearted, placed her brown hands upon his shoulders and shook him amicably. "You are indeed a child, my Clovis, and deserve the flogging!" she said, cheerily. "Fi donc! A gentleman obeys a lady's bidding. Would you have her come down here and sing peccavi before me, whom she detests? Infant! go to her and make it up, and if she proposes stipulations about me, be sure to accede to them all." Clovis obeyed with a bad grace, and entered his wife's boudoir with the sorry air of a malefactor who pleads guilty--a condition that was not improved by the dignified courtesy of his reception. With a serene smile, Gabrielle bade him sit by her side. "We seem doomed to have misunderstandings," she sighed; "and I am fain to confess that the blame is equally divided. I unwittingly offended you on a money question. I often wish that there was no such thing as money." The exordium was promising, and Clovis plucked up his spirits. With a polite bow he remained silent. "What would you have me do?" she asked. "Release me from the possible prospect of being held up to ridicule by my children." "It shall be done--upon conditions." Ah! There were to be conditions then? The anger of the marquis rose. His face assumed so sullen an expression that Gabrielle felt less compunction as to her pious fraud. Such men as her husband and his brother were not fit to have the custody of children; as to that she had no doubt. When she proceeded to explain that he might send for a notary, and she would sign another will on condition that a certain person undertook to withdraw from the circle, Clovis could scarce contain his passion. When the maréchal's solicitors had forced him to obedience it was bad enough--but now--to receive peremptory orders from his wife! He was not such a ninny as to be taken in by the little sop. That Algaé was to be allowed to stay on for a week or two just to keep up appearances made no difference. He had chosen to engage a female secretary and helper concerning whose relations with himself there could be no suspicion in any healthy mind, and he was to be deprived of her assistance in his work through a morbid and unworthy suspicion. "What if I refuse?" he said, sulkily. "You will play the martyr, I suppose?" "I will place the matter before the Seigneurie and magistrates of Blois," Gabrielle quietly replied. "The line they counsel I will take." The wrath of the marquis boiled over. His hands shook, and his fingers twitched as though he would like to strike her. "You will do that?" he muttered, harshly. "You will wash our linen in public to make me a fool before the province? You will deliberately create a public _esclandre_ at so dangerous a moment?"