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Updated: June 27, 2025
During the last part of this strange and frank avowal, Valerie's voice had grown inexpressibly touching: her tenderness forced itself into her manner; and when she ceased, her lip quivered; her tears, repressed by a violent effort, trembled in her eyes her hands were clasped her attitude was that of humility, not pride. Maltravers stood perfectly spell-bound.
He was interested and excited; and Valerie's manners, which to-day flattered, and to-morrow piqued him, enlisted his vanity and pride on the side of his fancy.
As soon as the two ladies were left alone together, Lady C. took Valerie's hand, and gazing earnestly in her face, said: "What is the matter with you, my child? You look pale and ill. Although I am so glad to see you, under any circumstances, I am half inclined to scold you for coming out at all."
"Go to bed and sleep in peace," said Madame Marneffe. "Isn't she clever?" thought Crevel. "She has saved me. She is adorable!" As Marneffe disappeared, the Mayor took Valerie's hands and kissed them, leaving on them the traces of tears. "It shall all stand in your name," he said. "That is true love," she whispered in his ear. "Well, love for love. Hulot is below, in the street.
'I must trust you though Valerie, there is one person who might be able to help me to-night, she whispered close to the girl's ear. 'He might save me. But he must come to me here now! I dare not leave this room. Simon she shivered. 'Who is it? A new coldness crept into Valerie's voice as she listened. 'Can you not guess? It is Captain Rallywood.
Valerie's room and dressing-room were situated in the part of the house which, on one side of the courtyard, joined the front half, looking out on the street, to the wing forming the inner side of the court backing against the adjoining property.
But somehow or other perhaps by the mere charm of custom he had grown more pleasing in Valerie's eyes; habit had reconciled her to his foibles, deficiencies, and faults; and, by comparison with others, she could better appreciate his good qualities, such as they were, generosity, good-temper, good-nature, and unbounded indulgence to herself.
At the same time Valerie's influence was so great that, by the middle of dinner, the Baron was tuned up to the pitch, and was all the more cheerful for having unwonted anxieties to conceal; but the hapless man was not yet aware that in the course of that evening he would find himself in a cleft stick, between his happiness and the danger pointed out by his friend compelled, in short, to choose between Madame Marneffe and his official position.
Imogen hesitated, blushing a little, before saying, "Surely you were quite rich when papa married you." "Hardly rich; but, yes, quite well off." "And you spent it all on yourself?" Valerie's color, too, had faintly risen. "Not so much on myself, Imogen, though I wish now that I had been more economical; but I was ignorant of your father's rather reckless expenditure.
Crevel might have gone on with his string of literary allusions; the Baron heard him as a deaf man listens when he is but half deaf. But, seeing in the gaslight the ghastly pallor of his face, the triumphant Mayor stopped short. This was, indeed, a thunderbolt after Madame Olivier's asservations and Valerie's parting glance. "Good God! And there are so many other women in Paris!" he said at last.
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