e lasted about an
hour, when the door reopened and Madame Desvarennes appeared, pale and
still trembling, but calmed. Micheline, wiping her beautiful eyes, still
wet with tears, regained her apartment.

"Well," said Cayrol timidly, seeing the mistress standing silent and
absorbed before him; "I see with pleasure that you are less agitated.
Did Mademoiselle Micheline give you good reasons?"

"Good reasons!" cried Madame Desvarennes with a violent gesture, last
flash of the late storm. "She cried, that's all. And you know when she
cries I no longer know what I do or say! She breaks my heart with her
tears. And she knows it. Ah! it is a great misfortune to love children
too much!"

This energetic woman was conquered, and yet understood that she was
wrong to allow herself to be conquered. She fell into a deep reverie,
and forgot that Cayrol was present. She thought of the future which she
had planned for Micheline, and which the latter carelessly destroyed in
an instant.

Pierre, now an orphan, would have been a real son to the mistress. He
would have lived in her house, and have surrounded her old age with care
and affection. And then, he was so full of ability that he could not
help attaining a brilliant position. She would have helped him, and
would have rejoiced in his success. And all this scaffolding was
overturned because this Panine had crossed Micheline's path. A foreign
adventurer, prince perhaps, but who could tell? Lies are easily told
when the proofs of the lie have to be sought beyond the frontiers. And
it was her daughter who was going to fall in love with an insipid fop
who only coveted her millions. That she should see such a man enter her
family, steal Micheline's love from her, and rummage her strongbox! In
a moment she vowed mortal hatred against Panine, and resolved to do all
she could to prevent the longed-for marriage with her daughter.

She was disturbed in her meditation by Cayrol's voice. He wished to take
an answer to the Prince. What must he say to him?

"You will let him know," said Madame Desvarennes, "that he must refrain
from seeking opportunities of meeting my daughter. If he be a gentleman,
he will understand that his presence, even in Paris, is disagreeable to
me. I ask him to go away for three weeks. After that time he may come
back, and I agree to give him an answer."

"You promise me that you will not be vexed with me for having undertaken
this errand?"

"I promise on one cond