alive. The man will have to walk over my body riddled with wounds
and bleeding from every pore, ere he can put the wedding-ring on your
finger; with my last breath, too, I will dishonour you by proclaiming
that you are my mistress, and thus cloud the joy of any man who may
triumph over me; and if I can stab you as I die, I will, so that in the
tomb, at least, you may be my wife. That is what I purpose doing, Edmee.
And now, practise all your arts on me; lead me on from trap to trap;
rule me with your admirable diplomacy. I may be duped a hundred times
because of my ignorance, but have I not sworn by the name of Mauprat?"

"Mauprat the Hamstringer!" she added with freezing irony.

And she turned to go out.

I was about to seize her arm when the bell rang; it was the abbe who had
returned. As soon as he appeared Edmee shook hands with him, and retired
to her room without saying a single word to me.

The good abbe, noticing my agitation, questioned me with that assurance
which his claims on my affections were henceforth to give him. The
present matter, however, was the only one on which we had never had an
explanation. In vain had he sought to introduce it. He had not given
me a single lesson in history without leading up to some famous love
affairs and drawing from them an example or a precept of moderation or
generosity; but he had not succeeded in making me breathe a word on this
subject. I could not bring myself to forgive him altogether for having
done me an ill turn with Edmee. I even had a suspicion that he was still
injuring my cause; and I therefore put myself on guard against all the
arguments of his philosophy and all the seductions of his friendship. On
this special evening I was more unassailable than ever. I left him ill