"Is it a dream? Good heaven!" said Adrienne, drawing her hands across her
forehead in a sort of stupor. "I cannot doubt your word, my poor friend;
and yet it is M. Rodin who himself sent you to that house, to give
assistance to your sister: would he have wilfully laid open to you his
secret interviews with the Abbe d'Aigrigny? It would have been bad policy
in a traitor."

"That is true, and the same reflection occurred to me. And yet the
meeting of these two men appeared so dangerous to you, madame, that I
returned home full of terror."

Characters of extreme honesty are very hard to convince of the treachery
of others: the more infamous the deception, the more they are inclined to
doubt it. Adrienne was one of these characters, rectitude being a prime
quality of her mind. Though deeply impressed by the communication, she
remarked: "Come, my dear, do not let us frighten ourselves too soon, or
be over-hasty in believing evil. Let us try to enlighten ourselves by
reasoning, and first of all remember facts. M. Rodin opened for me the
doors of Dr. Baleinier's asylum; in my presence, he brought, his charge
against the Abbe d'Aigrigny; he forced the superior of the convent to
restore Marshal Simon's daughters, he succeeded in discovering the
retreat of Prince Djalma--he faithfully executed my intentions with
regard to my young cousin; only yesterday, he gave me the most useful
advice. All this is true--is it not?"

"Certainly, madame."

"Now suppose that M. Rodin, putting things in their worst light, had some
after-thought--that he hopes to be liberally rewarded, for instance;
hitherto, at least, he has shown complete disinterestedness."