"I
believe that you lay claim to be a gentleman."
"I don't recognize you ever since you have seen more of your
impertinent sister."
"You ordered me to be impertinent, and I am practising on you," she
replied.
"Your servant, madame," said Gigonnet, taking leave, not anxious to
witness this family scene.
Du Tillet looked fixedly at his wife, who returned the look without
lowering her eyes.
"What does all this mean?" he said.
"It means that I am no longer a little girl whom you can frighten,"
she replied. "I am, and shall be, all my life, a good and loyal wife
to you; you may be my master if you choose, my tyrant, never!"
Du Tillet left the room. After this effort Marie-Eugenie broke down.
"If it were not for my sister's danger," she said to herself, "I
should never have dared to brave him thus; but, as the proverb says,
'There's some good in every evil.'"
CHAPTER IX
THE HUSBAND'S TRIUMPH
During the preceding night Madame du Tillet had gone over in her mind
her sister's revelations. Sure, now, of Nathan's safety, she was no
longer influenced by the thought of an imminent danger in that
direction. But she remembered the vehement energy with which the
countess had declared that she would fly with Nathan if that would
save him. She saw that the man might determine her sister in some
paroxysm of gratitude and love to take a step which was nothing short
of madness.
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