en Madame de Perrant,
changing her whole demeanour, assumed a face of sternness and bade him go
out of her room.

The poor lover obeyed, and ran, in despair, to confide his grief to the
husband, who appeared sincerely to share it, but consoled him by saying
that he had no doubt chosen his moment badly; that all women, even the
least severe, had inauspicious hours in which they would not yield to
attack, and that he must let a few days pass, which he must employ in
making his peace, and then must take advantage of a better opportunity,
and not allow himself to be rebuffed by a few refusals; and to these
words the marquis added a purse of gold, in order that the page might, if
necessary, win over the marquise's waiting-woman.

Guided thus by the older experience of the husband, the page began to
appear very much ashamed and very penitent; but for a day or two the
marquise, in spite of his apparent humility, kept him at a distance: at
last, reflecting no doubt, with the assistance of her mirror and of her
maid, that the crime was not absolutely unpardonable, and after having
reprimanded the culprit at some length, while he stood listening with
eyes cast down, she gave a him her hand, forgave him, and admitted him to
her companionship as before.

Things went on in this way for a week. The page no longer raised his
eyes and did not venture to open his mouth, and the marquise was
beginning to regret the time in which he used to look and to speak, when,
one fine day while she was at her toilet, at which she had allowed him to
be present, he seized a moment when the maid had left her alone, to cast
himself at her feet and tell her that he had vainly tried to stifle his
love, and that, even although he were to die under the weight of her
anger, he must tell her that this love was immense, eternal, stronger
than his life. The marquise upon this wished to send him away, as on the
former occasion, but instead of obeying her, the page, better instructed,
took her in his arms. The marquise called, screamed, broke her
bell-rope; the waiting-maid, who had been bought over, according to the
marquis's advice, had kept the other women out of the way, and was
careful not to come herself. Then the marquise, resisting force by force,
freed herself from the page's arms, rushed to her husband's room, and
there, bare-necked, with floating hair, and looking lovelier than ever,
flung herself into his arms and begged his protection against th