He is young and handsome, full of promise, and he will be the glory of Alencon; and yet everybody will exclaim against you: evil tongues will say all sorts of things; jealous women will accuse you of depravity,--but what will that matter?
you will be loved, and loved truly.

If Athanase seemed to you an idiot, my dear, it is that he has too many ideas; extremes meet.

He lives the life of a girl of fifteen; he has never wallowed in the impurities of Paris, not he! Well, change the terms, as my poor husband used to say; it is the same thing with du Bousquier in connection with Suzanne.

_You_ would be calumniated; but in the case of du Bousquier, the charge would be true.

Don't you understand me ?" "No more than if you were talking Greek," replied Mademoiselle Cormon, who opened her eyes wide, and strained all the forces of her intellect.
"Well, cousin, if I must dot all the i's, it is impossible for Suzanne to love du Bousquier.