It was past mid-day when he returned, but his face
was radiant; and it was in a triumphant voice that he announced:
"Monsieur le Baron Trigault."
Madame d'Argeles sprang up, and greeted the baron with a joyful
exclamation. "Ah! how kind of you to come!" she exclaimed. "You
are most welcome. If you knew how anxiously I have been waiting
for you!" He made no reply. "If you knew," continued Madame
d'Argeles, "if you only knew "
But she paused, for in spite of her own agitation, she was
suddenly struck by the peculiar expression on her visitor's face.
He was standing silent and motionless in the centre of the room,
and his eyes were fixed upon her with a strange, persistent stare
in which she could read all the contradictory feelings which were
battling for mastery in his mind--anger, hatred, pity, and
forgiveness. Madame d'Argeles shuddered. So her cup of sorrow
was not yet full. A new misfortune was about to fall upon her.
She had hoped that the baron would be able to alleviate her
wretchedness, but it seemed as if he were fated to increase it.
"Why do you look at me like that?" she asked, anxiously. "What
have I done?"
"You, my poor Lia--nothing!"
"Then--what is it? Oh, my God! you frighten me."
"What is it? Well, I am going to tell you," he said, as he stepped
forward and took her hand in his own. "You know that I have been
infamously duped and deceived, that the happiness of my life has
been destroyed by a scoundrel who tempted the wife I so fondly
loved to forget her duty, and trample her honor under foot.
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