"They must be watching Marguerite very closely," he
replied, "and if I attempt to see her, if I even venture to write
to her, our enemies would undoubtedly discover it. And then,
farewell to the success of my plans."
"Then you prefer to leave her exposed to these dangers?"
"Yes, even admitting there is danger, which is by no means
certain. Owing to her past life, Marguerite's experience is far
in advance of her years, and if some one told me that she had
fathomed Madame Leon's character, I should not be at all
surprised."
It was necessary to ascertain what had become of Marguerite; and
Pascal was puzzling his brain to discover how this might be done,
when suddenly he exclaimed: "Madame Vantrasson! We have her; let
us make use of her. It will be easy to find some excuse for
sending her to the Hotel de Chalusse: she will gossip with the
servants there, and in that way we can discover the changes that
have taken place."
This was a heroic resolution on Pascal's part, and one which he
would have recoiled from the evening before. But it is easy to be
brave when one is hopeful; and he saw his chances of success
increase so rapidly that he no longer feared the obstacles that
had once seemed almost insurmountable. Even his mother's
opposition had ceased to alarm him. For why should he fear after
the surprising proof she had given him of her love of justice,
proving that the pretended letter from Mademoiselle Marguerite was
really a forgery?
He slept but little that night and did not stir from the house on
the following day.
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