How many times had she not repaired his acts of folly and paid his petty debts, keeping silent concerning them, and refusing all pecuniary help from the Marquis, who no longer dared offer his millions, so stubbornly intent she was on living upon the remnants of her own fortune.

And thus she had ended by closing her eyes to her son's scandalous love intrigue, divining in some measure how things had happened, through self-abandonment and lack of conscience--the man weak, unable to resume possession of himself, and the woman holding and retaining him.

The Marquis, however, strangely enough, had only forgiven the intrigue on the day when Eve had allowed herself to be converted.
"You know, my friend, how good-natured Gerard is," the Countess resumed.
"In that lie both his strength and weakness.

How would you have me scold him when he weeps over it all with me?
He will tire of that woman." M.de Morigny wagged his head.

"She is still very beautiful," said he.
"And then there's the daughter.