"You might have concluded, then, that he was impotent; for unless he were
made of stone, or had taken a vow of chastity, his conduct was
inexplicable."

"The fact is, that I had no means of knowing whether he was capable or
incapable of giving me substantial proof of his love."

"Why did you not ascertain his condition for yourself?"

"A feeling of foolish pride prevented me from putting him to the test. I
did not suspect the truth, but imagined reasons flattering to myself. I
thought that he loved me so truly that he would not do anything before I
was his wife. That idea prevented me humiliating myself by making him
give me some positive proof of his powers."

"That supposition would have been tenable, though highly improbable, if
you had been an innocent young maid, but he knew perfectly well that your
novitiate was long over."

"Very true; but what can you expect of a woman impelled by love and
vanity?"

"Your reasoning is excellent, but it comes rather late." "Well, at last
we went back to Paris, your brother to his house, and I to mine, while he
continued his courtship, and I could not understand what he meant by such
strange behaviour. M. de Sauci, who knew that nothing serious had taken
place between us, tried in vain to solve the enigma. 'No doubt he is
afraid of getting you with child,' he said, 'and of thus being obliged to
marry you.' I began to be of the same opinion, but I thought it a strange