which he had told us his heart was bent. He appeared sincerely moved by
what I said; implored me to keep silence towards his mother and his
betrothed; and promised, on that condition, to relinquish at once what he
called 'his career as an orator,' and appear no more at such execrable
clubs. On this understanding I held my tongue. Why, with such other
causes of grief and suffering, should I tell thee, poor wife, of a sin
that I hoped thy son had repented and would not repeat? And Gustave kept
his word. He has never, so far as I know, attended, at least spoken, at
the Red clubs since that evening."

"Thank heaven so far," murmured Madame Rameau.

"So far, yes; but hear more. A little time after I thus met him he
changed his lodging, and did not confide to us his new address, giving as
a reason to us that he wished to avoid a clue to his discovery by that
pertinacious Mademoiselle Julie."

Rameau had here sunk his voice into a whisper, intended only for his
wife, but the ear of the Venosta was fine enough to catch the sound, and
she repeated, "Mademoiselle Julie! Santa Maria! who is she?"

"Oh!" said M. Rameau, with a shrug of his shoulders, and with true
Parisian _sangfroid_ as to such matters of morality, "a trifle not worth
considering. Of course, a good-looking _garcon_ like Gustave must have
his little affairs of the heart before he settles for life. Unluckily,
amongst those of Gustave was one with a violent-tempered girl who
persecuted him when he left her, and he naturally wished to avoid all
chance of a silly scandal, if only out of respect to the dignity of his
fiancee. But I found that was not the true motive, or at least the only
one, for concealment. Prepare yourself, my poor wife. Thou hast heard