"But," observed the lawyer, "in 1814, the time at which this
fascination is supposed to have taken place, this woman was fourteen
years younger; if she had been connected with M. d'Espard ten years
before that, these calculations take us back four-and-twenty years, to
a time when the lady may have been young and pretty, and have won for
herself and her son a power over M. d'Espard which some men do not
know how to evade. Though the source of this power is reprehensible in
the sight of justice, it is justifiable in the eye of nature. Madame
Jeanrenaud may have been aggrieved by the marriage, contracted
probably at about that time, between the Marquis d'Espard and
Mademoiselle de Blamont-Chauvry, and at the bottom of all this there
may be nothing more than the rivalry of two women, since the Marquis
had for a long time lived apart from Mme. d'Espard."

"But her repulsive ugliness, uncle?"

"Power of fascination is in direct proportion to ugliness," said the
lawyer; "that is the old story. And then think of the smallpox,
doctor. But to proceed.

"'That so long ago as in 1815, in order to supply the sums of money
required by these two persons, the Marquis d'Espard went with his two
children to live in the Rue de la Montagne-Sainte-Genevieve, in rooms
quite unworthy of his name and rank'--well, we may live as we please
--'that he keeps his two children there, the Comte Clement d'Espard
and Vicomte Camille d'Espard, in a style of living quite unsuited to
their future prospects, their name and fortune; that he often wants
money, to such a point, that not long since the landlord, one Mariast,
put in an execution on the furniture in the rooms; that when this