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The Recruit by Honoré de Balzac
page 9 of 21 (42%)
notice of it, and search her house, and _then_--"

He said no more, but all present understood what he meant.

The sincere friends of Madame de Dey were so alarmed about her, that
on the morning of the third day, the procureur-syndic of the commune
made his wife write her a letter, urging her to receive her visitors
as usual that evening. Bolder still, the old merchant went himself in
the morning to Madame de Dey's house, and, strong in the service he
wanted to render her, he insisted on seeing her, and was amazed to
find her in the garden gathering flowers for her vases.

"She must be protecting a lover," thought the old man, filled with
sudden pity for the charming woman.

The singular expression on the countess's face strengthened this
conjecture. Much moved at the thought of such devotion, for all men
are flattered by the sacrifices a woman makes for one of them, the old
man told the countess of the rumors that were floating about the town,
and the dangers to which she was exposing herself.

"For," he said in conclusion, "though some of the authorities will
readily pardon a heroism which protects a priest, none of them will
spare you if they discover that you are sacrificing yourself to the
interests of your heart."

At these words Madame de Dey looked at the old man with a wild and
bewildered air, that made him shudder.

"Come," she said, taking him by the hand and leading him into her
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