only to utter them. They created the char-
acter in spite of her.

The heartless world which Marguerite re-
entered with Varville had never been so glit-
tering and reckless as on the night when it
gathered in Olympe's salon for the fourth
act. There were chandeliers hung from the
ceiling, I remember, many servants in livery,
gaming-tables where the men played with
piles of gold, and a staircase down which the
guests made their entrance. After all the
others had gathered round the card tables,
and young Duval had been warned by Pru-
dence, Marguerite descended the staircase
with Varville; such a cloak, such a fan, such
jewels -- and her face! One knew at a glance
how it was with her. When Armand, with the
terrible words, "Look, all of you, I owe this
woman nothing!" flung the gold and bank-
notes at the half-swooning Marguerite, Lena
cowered beside me and covered her face with
her hands.

The curtain rose on the bedroom scene. By
this time there wasn't a nerve in me that
hadn't been twisted. Nanine alone could
have made me cry. I loved Nanine tenderly;
and Gaston, how one clung to that good fel-

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p312 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p313w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p314

v?