The ladies usually spoke French with each other, though occasionally
Madame Reynier dropped into the harsher speech of her native country.
On this morning she did this, telling Mélanie, for the tenth time in as
many days, that in her opinion they ought to be going home. Madame
considered this her duty, and felt no real responsibility after the
statement was made. Nevertheless, she was glad to find Mélanie
disposed to discuss the matter a little further.

"Do you wish to go home, Auntie, or is it that you think I ought to go?"

"I don't wish to go without you, child, you know that; and I am very
comfortable here. But his Highness, your cousin, is very impatient; I
see that in every letter from Krolvetz. You offended him deeply by
putting off your marriage to Count Lorenzo, and every day now deepens
his indignation against you. I don't like to discuss these things,
Mélanie, but I suspect that your action deprives him of a very
necessary revenue; and I understand, better than you do, to what
lengths your cousin is capable of going when he is displeased. You
are, by the law of your country, his ward until you marry. Would it
not be better to submit to him in friendship, rather than to incur his
enmity? After all, he is your next of kin, the head of your family,
and a very powerful man. If we are going home at all, we ought to go
now."

"But suppose we should decide not to go home at all?"

"You will have to go some time, dear child. You are all alone, except
for me, and in the nature of things you can't have me always. Now that
you are young, you think it an easy thing to break away from the ties