"What in the devil does that question mean? what connection has it with my offers?"

"Much, I a.s.sure you. At all events, be good enough to answer; what is the probable cost of a girl's education, and her support--everything?"

"As if I knew! As if I ever paid any attention to such things!"

"No, I suppose you never have paid any attention to them; but, no matter! make a guess at it."

"Well! about three or four thousand francs, I suppose."

"No, monsieur, you're a long way off. I reckon that it would cost fully twenty thousand francs."

"Twenty thousand francs! Nonsense! that isn't possible! Twenty thousand francs for a child?"

"Yes, monsieur, when that child is a daughter; when one wishes to give her a good education, and to cultivate her talents until she is a woman grown. Really, monsieur, I should have said that you were more generous!

Forty thousand francs a year is too little for your pleasures, and you think that twenty thousand is too much for bringing up and educating a woman, and a.s.suring her of a bare existence! Ah! that's just like you men!"

"No, no, you are right: twenty thousand francs is none too much. But, for G.o.d's sake, let us drop this subject and return to you--to you, who will not always be so cruel to me, I trust. What do you want? you haven't told me yet."

"Well, monsieur le vicomte, if I should yield to your solicitations, as I might have a little girl, I want the means of bringing her up, of giving her an education; and as I have no faith in a seducer's promises, I want it--before I give myself to him.--Do you understand me now?"

The viscount was speechless with surprise; he frowned, moved his chair away from Georgette's, and muttered at last:

"Hum! all this means that you want twenty thousand francs before you surrender?"

"Yes, monsieur, that's it exactly."

"That's a little expensive, mademoiselle."

"It's not I who am expensive, monsieur," retorted the girl, with a glance of disdain, almost of contempt; "it's the little girl--the child."

"The little girl! the little girl! but you haven't one yet! Wait at least until you have it, before you make such a demand!"

"No, no! for it would be too late then, and I should be very sure of being refused."

"Do you think so?"

"I don't think so; I am certain of it."

As she spoke, Georgette fixed her eyes on the young man's face with such a meaning expression that he could not support it but lowered his eyes and faltered:

"In truth--it is possible."

After a brief pause, Georgette rose, saying:

"Adieu, monsieur!"

"What! are you going, mademoiselle?"

"To be sure; I believe that we have nothing more to say to each other."

"I beg your pardon, but we have; only, your _ultimatum_ requires reflection. Will you allow me to consider it a little?"

"Oh! as much as you please! You have compelled me to put my thoughts into words. It is a foolish idea; let us think no more about it."

"Why so? Unless you said it as a joke."

"No, I spoke most seriously; but I am fully persuaded that you will not make a sacrifice for me--of which I am not worthy."

"But I don't say that. Only, one hasn't such a large sum always at his disposal."

"There is no hurry, monsieur; we shall see each other again. Excuse me; I cannot stay any longer, I have work to do. Au revoir, monsieur le vicomte!"

Georgette eluded the grasp of the young man, who tried to detain her, and who exclaimed when she had gone:

"I suspected as much; she's a sly little fox, as cunning as a demon! As bright as she is mischievous! But, twenty thousand francs--all at one stroke! No, no! I won't make such a fool of myself for a grisette; that would be too absurd! With her talk about a little girl, she reminded me of that poor Suzanne, who had one, I believe. But what the devil am I mooning about? I'll go to the club and forget it all!"

The viscount went to his club, then to a friend's house, where there was sure to be high play. He tried to divert his thoughts, took a hand at baccarat, lost ten thousand francs at the outset, then wound up by winning three thousand.

"I might have lost twenty thousand," he said to himself, as he left the game, "and I should have had to pay it within twenty-four hours. Oh! I can obtain the money easily enough--it isn't that; I have only to sell a few railroad shares. But, no, no! it would be too asinine! I am sure that I should be sorry afterward!"

Two days pa.s.sed, during which the viscount did his utmost to avoid thinking about Georgette; but on the third day, being still haunted by her image, he rose early, saying to himself:

"Pardieu! I am a great fool to torment myself like this, when it rests entirely with me to obtain the pleasure I crave! After all, what do a few banknotes more or less amount to? I'll save money in some other direction. I may as well go to my broker and settle the matter. Besides, I am to dine with those fellows the day after to-morrow; it shall not be said that I had to pay for the dinner."

Edward called at his broker's and procured the sum that he needed by selling certain securities. He returned home, placed the twenty thousand francs in a dainty pocketbook, and, having ordered Lepinette to burden himself anew with all the things that he had previously sent to Georgette, said to him:

"Go up to that young lady's room; give her first this pocketbook, then all this finery, and ask her when I shall see her. Go; I propose to watch you from the hall; so no stupid blunders this time!"

The valet went up the two flights of stairs, and the viscount impatiently awaited his return. Lepinette's face was fairly radiant when he appeared.

"Well?" said Edward.

"The young woman opened the pocketbook. I was not inquisitive enough to look at what she was counting, but I think it was banknotes."

"Idiot! What next?"

"She seemed delighted, and she said to me, with a most amiable expression: 'Please inform your master that if he can come up to-night, between eleven o'clock and twelve, it will give me great pleasure. I wish to thank him in person.'"

"Bravo! at last! _tandem! denique tandem felix!_ Ah! I knew that I should attain my ends! And those fellows won't have the laugh on me!"

The young man was insanely hilarious. He instantly demanded cigarettes, which he had neglected utterly since he had had something to occupy his mind; then he went out to try to kill time.

He returned to his apartment at eleven o'clock, but had the patience to wait until midnight, so that he might not meet anyone in the hall. Then he took a candle, and ran quickly up the two flights. He had learned from Lepinette which was Georgette's door: it was the last on the right; there was no possibility of a mistake. The viscount soon found the door, and saw that the key was in the lock.

"She thinks of everything!" he said to himself; "there is no need of knocking, and I don't have to wait on the landing; it's well done of her."

He softly opened the door and entered the room, where it was absolutely dark.

"So she has gone to bed already!" thought the viscount, walking toward the bed, which was at the back of the room. He put forward his light: no one; the bed was empty and had not been slept in. Utterly at sea, the young man looked in all directions; at last, he discovered on a table near the fireplace all the dry goods he had sent to Georgette a second time; nothing was missing, not even the bonnet; but the little white petticoat was laid on a piece of material, and on the petticoat was a letter addressed to Monsieur le Vicomte Edward de Sommerston.