She
carefully placed the letter in the drawer again, locked it, and
put the key in the pocket of Madame Leon's dress. Then she
breathed freely once more; and, for the first time in six days,
she felt something very like joy in her heart. Now she had no
fear of the Marquis de Valorsay. She had him in her power. He
would destroy his letter the next day, and think that he was
annihilating all proofs of his infamy. Not so. At the decisive
moment, at the very moment of his triumph, she would produce the
photograph of this letter, and crush him. And she--only a young
girl--had outwitted this consummate scoundrel!" I have not been
unworthy of Pascal," she said to herself, with a flash of pride.
However, her nature was not one of those weak ones which are
become intoxicated by the first symptom of success, and then relax
in their efforts. When her excitement had abated a little, she
was inclined to disparage rather than to exaggerate the advantage
she had gained. What she desired was a complete, startling,
incontestable victory. It was not enough to prove Valorsay's
GUILT--she was resolved to penetrate his designs, to discover why
he pursued her so desperately. And, though she felt that she
possessed a formidable weapon of defence, she could not drive away
her gloomy forebodings when she thought of the threats contained
in the marquis's letter.
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