Ah, well! I will tell you: she imagines that the Marquis de Sairmeuse is your lover." Marie-Anne tottered beneath the terrible blow, and a nervous spasm shook her from head to foot.
"Can this be possible ?" she exclaimed.

"Great God! what shame! what humiliation!" "And why should this astonish you ?" said Lacheneur, coldly.

"Have you not expected this ever since the day when you, my devoted daughter, consented, for the sake of my plans, to submit to the attentions of this marquis, whom you loathe as much as I despise ?" "But Maurice! Maurice will despise me! I can bear anything, yes, everything but that." M.Lacheneur made no reply.

Marie-Anne's despair was heart-breaking; he felt that he could not bear to witness it, that it would shake his resolution, and he re-entered the house.
But his penetration was not at fault.

While waiting to find a revenge which would be worthy of her, Mlle.