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Every woman whose bad temper has got her into trouble with her husband, and every man whose stupidity has led him into quarrelling with his wife one and all they come to me, pour out their misfortunes in my ears, and expect me to arrange their affairs." The servant announcing dinner interrupted the poor Abbé's complaints.
The statuette represented a woman bound tightly, on whom two Cossacks were inflicting the knout; the socle bore the inscription, "Polonia vincta et flagellata." The abbe's countenance became transformed in the twinkling of an eye, the wrinkles smoothed away from his brow, his mouth relaxed, a joyous light shone in his eyes. "How well it is that I came!" thought he.
But you are quite right; this is no time for melancholy forebodings. Let us be happy while we may; and since I came to Quipai, sixty years ago, I have had no happier day than this." The abbé's wedding-present to Angela was a gold cross studded with large uncut diamonds. Where he got them I had no idea, but I heard afterward and something more.
Her Friend But apropos of this, you know that Ernestine has not forgiven him his pleasantry of the other evening. Madame How, of my husband? What pleasantry? The other evening when the Abbe Gelon and the Abbe Brice were there? Her Friend And his son, who was there also. Madame What! the Abbe's son? Her Friend But ha! ha! ha! what are you saying, ha! ha! you little goose?
Since the previous evening the Abbe's head had been on fire; Jean had not slept much, but he had not slept at all. He had risen very early, and with closed doors, alone with Pauline, he had counted and recounted his money, spreading out his one hundred Louis-d'or, gloating over them like a miser, and like a miser finding exquisite pleasure in handling his hoard.
With impulse she caught his hand and kissed it. A minute afterwards she was gone with Maurice Joval, who had orders to bring her to the abbe's house that, and no more. The governor, left alone, looked at the hand that she had kissed and said: "Well, well, I am but a fool still. Yet a woman in a million!" He took out his watch. "Too late," he added. "Poor lady!"
The venture is not without risk, less from the English cruisers than the French, for the abbé is well known in England, and Ireland too; but his Royalist character would find slight favor with Fouché. You are willing to run the risk, I suppose?" "I am." "And to travel as the abbe's servant, at least to Falaise? there the disguise will end." "Perfectly so."
But the Abbe's mistress was by no means content with vindicating herself: she retaliated, and gave so minute a description of the Abbe's own qualities and graces, coupled with so any pleasing illustrations, that in a very little time his coolness forsook him, and he grew in as great a rage as herself. At last she flew out of the room.
So Desgrais paid a visit to his wardrobe, and feeling that an abbe's dress would best free him from suspicion, he appeared at the doors of the convent in the guise of a fellow-countryman just returned from Rome, unwilling to pass through Liege without presenting his compliments to the lovely and unfortunate marquise.
Of the Abbe's power over Marie Antoinette there are various opinions; of his capacity there is but one he was superficial and cunning. On his arrival at Vienna he became the tool of Maria Theresa. While there, he received a salary as the daughter's tutor, and when he returned to France, a much larger one as the mother's spy.
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