The pitiless sentence pronounced by Mme.de Lorcy grieved M.Moriaz, but did not discourage him.It was his opinion that, let her say what she might, precautions were good; that, well though it might be to bear our misfortunes patiently, there was no law forbidding us to assuage them; that it was quite permissible to prefer to complete follies those of a modified character, and that a bad cold or an influenza was decidedly preferable to inflammation of the lungs, which is so apt to prove fatal."Time and myself will suffice for all things," proudly said Philip II.M.Moriaz said, with perhaps less pride: "To postpone a thing so long as possible, and to hold deliberate counsel with one's notary, are the best correctives of a dangerous marriage that cannot be prevented." His notary, M.Noirot, in whom he reposed entire confidence, was absent; a case of importance had carried him to Italy.Nothing remained but to await his return, until which everything stood in suspense.
In the first conversation he had with his daughter on the subject, M.
Moriaz found her very reasonable, very well disposed to enter into his views, to accede to his desires.She was too thoroughly pleased with his resignation not to be willing to reward him for it with a little complaisancy; besides, she was too happy to be impatient; she had gained the main points of her case--it cost her little to yield in matters of secondary detail.
"You will be accused of having taken a most inconsiderate step," said her father to her."You are little sensible to the judgment of the world, to what people say; I am much more so.Humour my weakness or cowardice.Let us endeavour to keep up appearances; do not let us appear to be in a hurry, or to have something to hide; let us act with due deliberation.Just at present no one is in Paris; let us give our friends time to return there.We will present Count Larinski to them.
Great happiness does not fear being discussed.Your choice will be regarded unfavourably by some, approved by others.M.Larinski has the gift of pleasing; he will please, and all the world will pardon my resignation, which Mme.de Lorcy esteems a crime.""You promised me that your resignation would be mingled with cheerfulness: I find it somewhat melancholy.""You scarcely could expect me to be intoxicated with joy.""Will you at least assure me that you have taken your part bravely, and that you will think of no further appeal?""I swear it to you!"
"Very good; then we will honour your weakness," she replied, and she said Amen to all that he proposed.
It was agreed that the marriage should take place during the winter, and that two months should be allowed to elapse before proceeding to the preliminary formalities.M.Moriaz undertook to explain matters to Samuel Brohl, who found the arrangement little to his taste.He took pains, however, to give no signs of this.He told M.Moriaz that he was still in the first bewildering surprise of his happiness, that he was not sorry to have time to recover from it; but he secretly promised himself to devise some artifice for abridging delays, for hastening the /denoument/.He was apprehensive of accidents, unforeseen occurrences, squalls, storms, tornadoes, sudden blights, in short everything that might damage or destroy a harvest; he impatiently longed to gather in his, and to have it carefully stowed away in his granary.In the interim he wrote to his old friend M.
Guldenthal a letter at once majestic and confidential, which produced a most striking effect.M.Guldenthal concluded that a good marriage was much better security than a poor gun.Besides, he had had the agreeable surprise of being completely reimbursed for his loan, capital and interest.He was charmed to have so excellent a debtor return to him, and he hastened to advance to him all that he could possibly want, even more.
A month passed peaceably by, during which time Samuel Brohl repaired two or three times each week to Cormeilles.He made himself adored by the entire household, including the gardener, the porter and his family, and the Angora cat that had welcomed him at the time of his first visit.This pretty, soft white puss had conceived for Samuel Brohl a most deplorable sympathy; perhaps she had recognised that he possessed the soul of a cat, together with all the feline graces.She lavished on him the most flattering attentions; she loved to rub coaxingly against him, to spring on his knee, to repose in his lap.In retaliation, the great, tawny spaniel belonging to Mlle.Moriaz treated the newcomer with the utmost severity and was continually looking askance at him; when Samuel attempted a caress, he would growl ominously and show his teeth, which called forth numerous stern corrections from his mistress.Dogs are born gendarmes or police agents; they have marvellous powers of divination and instinctive hatred of people whose social status is not orthodox, whose credentials are irregular, or who have borrowed the credentials of others.As to Mlle.Moiseney, who had not the scent of a spaniel, she had gone distracted over this noble, this heroic, this incomparable Count Larinski.In a /tete-a-tete/ he had contrived to have with her, he had evinced much respect for her character, so much admiration for her natural and acquired enlightenment, that she had been moved to tears; for the first time she felt herself understood.What moved her, however, still more was that he asked her as a favour never to quit Mlle.Moriaz and to consider as her own the house he hoped one day to possess."What a man!" she ejaculated, with as much conviction as Mlle.Galet.
