"But why suppose your father has intentions which he has not and cannot have? Believe me, my child, in spite of his roughness, he loves you; why should he wish to grieve you? Why separate us and ruin the most beautiful, and the most assured hopes that a mother ever had for the future of her son? Wait,--I am sure that our friend M. David will say the same thing that I say to you. Come, calm yourself, take courage, we will have perhaps to pass through some disagreeable experiences, but we have already endured so much that is cruel, we cannot have much more to suffer." Frederick shook his head sadly, embraced his mother with more than usual tenderness, and entered his room. Madame Bastien rang for Marguerite. The old servant soon appeared. "Marguerite," said the young woman to her, "is M. Bastien still at table?" "Unfortunately he is, madame." "Unfortunately?" "Bless me, I have never seen monsieur with such a wicked face; he drinks--he drinks until it is frightful, and in spite of it all he is pale. He has just asked me for a bottle of brandy and--" "That is sufficient, Marguerite," said Marie, interrupting her servant; "have you prepared a bed in André's chamber for M. David?" "Yes, madame, M. David has just gone up there, but old André says he would rather sleep in the stable than dare stay in the same chamber with M. David. Besides, André will hardly have time to go to sleep to-night." "Why so?" "Monsieur has ordered André to hitch the horse at three o'clock in the morning." "What! M. Bastien is going away in the middle of the night?" "Monsieur said the moon rose at half past two, and he wished to be at Blémur with M. Bridou at the break of day, so as to be able to return here to-morrow evening." "That is different. Come, good night, Marguerite." "Madame--" "What do you want?" "My God, madame! I do not know if I can dare--" "Come, Marguerite, what is the matter?" "Madame has interrupted me every time I spoke of monsieur, and yet I had something to say--something--" And the servant stopped, looking at her mistress so uneasily, so sadly that the young woman exclaimed: "My God! what is the matter with you, Marguerite? You frighten me." "Ah, well, madame, when I went into the dining-room to give to monsieur the bottle of brandy he ordered, M. Bridou said to him, with a surprised and alarmed expression, 'Jacques, you will never do that.' Monsieur seeing me enter, made a sign to M. Bridou to hush, but when I went out, I--madame will excuse me perhaps on account of my intention--" "Go on, Marguerite." "I went out of the dining-room, but I stopped a moment behind the door, and I heard M. Bridou say to monsieur, 'Jacques, I say again, you will not do that.' Then monsieur replied, 'You will see.' I did not dare to listen to more of the conversation, and--" "You were right, Marguerite; you had already been guilty of an indiscretion which only your attachment to me can excuse." "What! What monsieur said does not frighten you?"