"I merely made a comment. I am his father and I shall give him a kite if I want to... or anything else for that matter."

"I am his mother. I have brought him into this world and cared for him ever since. It is not for you to come along now because you like the look of him and claim to be his father. How can you be sure that you are."

He looked at me sardonically.

"You are a woman of impeccable morals, I am sure. Everything fits. One only has to look at him."

"Lots of children look alike."

"Not so like. Besides, I knew him at once as soon as I saw him. I said to myself: That is my son."

"You have no claim on him."

"Don't let him see that you are afraid of me. That might arouse his resentment against me. I have heard from him what a beautiful, clever mother he has. I have also heard talk of you. You justified my belief in you. The famous Kate Collison ... beautiful ... young ... aloof ... a little mysterious ... living almost like a nun, they say."

"Where did you get this information?"

"You live in the limelight, dear Kate. One cannot help but bear these things. I said to myself: There has been no one else in Kate's life. I was the one. I remain the one."

"I see your opinion of yourself has not changed."

"As a matter of fact, I'll tell you this, Kate. I am not a very happy man."

"How is that? Surely you can juggle with circumstances and give yourself what you want?"

"It's not easy."

"You have indeed changed. I thought you were omnipotent."

"Not quite, alas."

"Surely you are not content with being " not quite"?"

"Listen, Kate, don't let's waste time like this. I have thought of you often."

"I suppose that is meant to be flattering."

"It's the truth. That was a wonderful time for me."

"It was hardly that for me."

"It was, Kate. If you are truthful with yourself you will admit you loved it ... every minute. Come, you know you did."

"I hated it. I hated you. It ruined ..."

"Your life? No. Look for yourself. Out of it came that beautiful boy.

You wouldn't change that, would you? "

"I have my boy and I am going to keep him."

"You wouldn't have him any different, would you ... not in one little way?"

"Of course I wouldn't."

"There you are. He had to be part mine to make him as he is. You might have married Bertrand. I saved you from that. I was surprised when he didn't go ahead. I told him to, but he defied me. He lost a great deal. He is a very poor man now. a He married hoping his wife would bring him something. She did a little ... not as much as he hoped though."

"Did you have a hand in that?"

"He had to learn he could not defy me. Oh, you would have been so bored with him. Such a milk and water gentleman. It would have lasted with you, Kate. It would have ruined your career. Madame de Mortemer.

No, I don't see you as that. Instead here you are, glorious Kate Collison, sought after but unattainable, the great artist, and the mother of the most delightful boy in France. Tell me, does he paint?

"What is it to you?"

"A great deal."

"I refuse to answer."

"Oh Kate ... the same Kate. It take me back so. I should never have let you go. You see I can make mistakes."

"That's an extraordinary admission. Yes, you have indeed changed. It surprises me very much to hear you admit defeat."

"I hope you will take pity on me."

"I don't believe a word you say, you know. I never shall."

"Oh, you admit we shall have other opportunities for disagreeing. That implies a continuation of our relationship which I very much desire."

"I think I should be going."

"You can't bring down the oriflamme yet ... unless you would like me to take charge of the boy."

"That I will never allow."

"I thought not," he said.

"Why have you come here?" I asked.

"To see the boy."

"To ingratiate yourself with him."

"I want his friendship."

"It is not for you."

"Shame, Kate. His own father!"

"I heard you have a son of your own ... a legitimate one."

His face hardened.

"I have no son," he said.

"The Princesse has a son, I was told."

"She has."

"Then ..."

"You knew, Kate. You were with her. I believe she confided in you. She did not come to me a virgin."

I looked at him steadily, mockingly. He was very serious now.

"The child was born too soon," he said.

"I knew it was not mine. She admitted that she had had a lover. Armand L'Estrange. So I give my name to a bastard. What do you think of that? It makes you laugh, doesn't it?"

"Yes," I said, laughing.

"It makes me laugh." Then I was sober suddenly.

"The poor little Princesse ... I began.

"Oh, you are sorry for her, are you? That deceitful harlot."

"I'd be sorry for anyone who had the ill fortune to marry you."

"Well, you have the satisfaction of knowing that I have a share in that misfortune."

"You are outraged, I am sure. Never mind. You have learned a valuable lesson. You can be deceived like anyone else. What is good for men is perhaps after all good for women. You should not feel so angry because you have been caught at your own game."

"I had forgotten you are one of the advanced women, are you not? You are a woman and an artist. You stand side by side with men and compete with them."

"I compete as an artist... if you call it competing. This is not a matter of sex."

"I gave you your chance ... remember that. Do you think you would have found it so easy if I had not?"

"No. But you claim to be a lover of art. You recognized my talent and for that reason only you pointed it out to others."

"I was interested m_you."

"As an artist."

"And as a woman. I think I proved that."

"Oh, I thought that was a matter of sordid revenge."

"It is always a good rule to combine business with pleasure."

"Well, it is over now. You submitted me to the greatest humiliation one person can inflict on another. For that I shall never forgive you.

You owe me something. Well, keep out of my way. Keep away from my son. "

"You ask too much."

He took my hand and crushed it in his.

"I wouldn't harm either of you," he said.

"I happen to be very fond of you both."

"Who was it said. Fear the Greeks when they bring gifts? I have another comment and that is that when men like you play at being kindly they are at their most deadly."

"Kate, you've changed. Understand that I have changed too."

"I do not believe you will ever change for anything but the worse."

"Won't you give me a chance?"

"No."

"Cruel Kate."

"There is only one way in which you can change my feelings towards you."

"What is that?"

"Stay away from me ... and mine. And do you want a word of advice?"

"From you, Kate, that would be golden, I am sure."

"I had to face a frightening situation. When I discovered I was going to have a child I did not know which way to turn. I had a good friend and I came through; and now I have come to terms with life. You should do the same. You have a son.

You may have more children. You must not blame the Princesse because she did once what you have spent your life doing. At least in her case it was done by consenting parties. "

"Oh Kate," he said, 'it does me so much good to be with you. Do you know, I feel more alive just to hear you talk. I really do enjoy being berated by you. Do you remember how you fought me? You really meant to fight, didn't you? Have pity on me. My marriage is a disaster, I hate my wife's sickly bastard, I despise my wife. She cannot have more children. Bearing the bastard did something to her. There's my sad story. "

"There's a moral in it."

"What's that?"

"The wicked never prosper."

He laughed and I stood up. He stood beside me. I had forgotten how big he was, how overpowering.