r," answered Isidore, "because I know that
you are just now unfairly prejudiced against me by Madame de Valricour."

"How dare you say this to my face, sir!" retorted the marquis with a
vehemence very unusual in him. "You should know, sir, that your aunt
is one who is utterly incapable of such conduct towards any person, and
your ingratitude to one who has ever been most indulgent and
affectionate to you makes your proceedings even more reprehensible.
Begone, sir! I will not listen to you."

"Sir, I ask no favour of your kindness, but I demand it of your sense
of justice that you listen to me, and do not condemn me unheard. I do
not expect to be denied, merely because I am your son, a right I
believe you accord even to the meanest of your servants."

For a moment or so the marquis made no reply. However blinded he might
be by his anger, he could have no plausible reason for refusing this
request.

"Well, sir," said he at last, "you have liberty to speak, but have a
care that you make no more insinuations against your estimable aunt,
and let us have no silly sentiment. We have to do with facts, and to
these you will confine yourself. If you can disprove what Madame de
Valricour alleges, so much the better for you, but that you cannot do.
You have told her that I--yes, I--approved of your engaging yourself to
this Marguerite Lacroix. Why, sir, if you had seen it in my own
handwriting you would have hardly been justified in believing your own
eyes, but you know, and knew, that I never wrote anything of the kind.
I can scarcely command patience to speak of such an absurdity. Besides
this, you have for a long time past been paying to your cousin a
devotion so manifest that Madame de Valricour assures me it is the
common talk, and I can share with her in her indignation at the
humiliating position in which you have placed her unhappy daughter."

"Nay," rejoined Isidore, who felt almost inclined to laugh,
notwithstanding his vexation, "this is really too absurd. I can not
only vouch for it that Clotilde does not care for me, but that she
knows I never dreamed of paying her any special attention. I can
assure you that she is aware of the position in which Mademoiselle
Lacroix and I stand in regard to each other, and heartily rejoices at
it."

At this the marquis broke out more indignantly than ever. "What, sir!
Do you dare to own this to my face? Your excellent aunt, though she
could not altogether disguise h