told him that the man was dying。 So this clerk was scheming for
Marneffe's advancement。
When Hulot went through his anteroom； full of visitors； he saw
Marneffe's colorless face in a corner； and sent for him before any one
else。
〃What do you want of me； my dear fellow？〃 said the Baron； disguising
his anxiety。
〃Monsieur le Directeur； I am the laughing…stock of the office； for it
has become known that the chief of the clerks has left this morning
for a holiday； on the ground of his health。 He is to be away a month。
Now； we all know what waiting for a month means。 You deliver me over
to the mockery of my enemies； and it is bad enough to be drummed upon
one side； drumming on both at once； monsieur； is apt to burst the
drum。〃
〃My dear Marneffe； it takes long patience to gain an end。 You cannot
be made head…clerk in less than two months； if ever。 Just when I must；
as far as possible； secure my own position； is not the time to be
applying for your promotion； which would raise a scandal。〃
〃If you are broke； I shall never get it；〃 said Marneffe coolly。 〃And
if you get me the place； it will make no difference in the end。〃
〃Then I am to sacrifice myself for you？〃 said the Baron。
〃If you do not； I shall be much mistaken in you。〃
〃You are too exclusively Marneffe； Monsieur Marneffe；〃 said Hulot；
rising and showing the clerk the door。
〃I have the honor to wish you good…morning； Monsieur le Baron；〃 said
Marneffe humbly。
〃What an infamous rascal！〃 thought the Baron。 〃This is uncommonly like
a summons to pay within twenty…four hours on pain of distraint。〃
Two hours later； just when the Baron had been instructing Claude
Vignon； whom he was sending to the Ministry of Justice to obtain
information as to the judicial authorities under whose jurisdiction
Johann Fischer might fall； Reine opened the door of his private room
and gave him a note； saying she would wait for the answer。
〃Valerie is mad！〃 said the Baron to himself。 〃To send Reine！ It is
enough to compromise us all； and it certainly compromises that
dreadful Marneffe's chances of promotion！〃
But he dismissed the minister's private secretary； and read as
follows：
〃Oh； my dear friend； what a scene I have had to endure！ Though you
have made me happy for three years； I have paid dearly for it！ He
came in from the office in a rage that made me quake。 I knew he
was ugly； I have seen him a monster！ His four real teeth
chattered； and he threatened me with his odious presence without
respite if I should continue to receive you。 My poor； dear old
boy； our door is closed against you henceforth。 You see my tears；
they are dropping on the paper and soaking it； can you read what I
write； dear Hector？ Oh； to think of never seeing you； of giving
you up when I bear in me some of your life； as I flatter myself I
have your heartit is enough to kill me。 Think of our little
Hector！
〃Do not forsake me； but do not disgrace yourself for Marneffe's
sake； do not yield to his threats。
〃I love you as I have never loved！ I remember all the sacrifices
you have made for your Valerie； she is not； and never will be；
ungrateful； you are； and will ever be； my only husband。 Think no
more of the twelve hundred francs a year I asked you to settle on
the dear little Hector who is to come some months hence； I will
not cost you anything more。 And besides； my money will always be
yours。
〃Oh； if you only loved me as I love you； my Hector； you would
retire on your pension； we should both take leave of our family；
our worries； our surroundings； so full of hatred； and we should go
to live with Lisbeth in some pretty country placein Brittany； or
wherever you like。 There we should see nobody； and we should be
happy away from the world。 Your pension and the little property I
can call my own would be enough for us。 You say you are jealous；
well； you would then have your Valerie entirely devoted to her
Hector； and you would never have to talk in a loud voice； as you
did the other day。 I shall have but one childoursyou may be
sure； my dearly loved old veteran。
〃You cannot conceive of my fury； for you cannot know how he
treated me； and the foul words he vomited on your Valerie。 Such
words would disgrace my paper； a woman such as I amMontcornet's
daughterought never to have heard one of them in her life。 I
only wish you had been there； that I might have punished him with
the sight of the mad passion I felt for you。 My father would have
killed the wretch； I can only do as women dolove you devotedly！
Indeed； my love； in the state of exasperation in which I am； I
cannot possibly give up seeing you。 I must positively see you； in
secret； every day！ That is what we are； we women。 Your resentment
is mine。 If you love me； I implore you； do not let him be
promoted； leave him to die a second…class clerk。
〃At this moment I have lost my head； I still seem to hear him
abusing me。 Betty； who had meant to leave me； has pity on me； and
will stay for a few days。
〃My dear kind love； I do not know yet what is to be done。 I see
nothing for it but flight。 I always delight in the country
Brittany； Languedoc； what you will； so long as I am free to love
you。 Poor dear； how I pity you！ Forced now to go back to your old
Adeline； to that lachrymal urnfor； as he no doubt told you； the
monster means to watch me night and day； he spoke of a detective！
Do not come here； he is capable of anything I know； since he could
make use of me for the basest purposes of speculation。 I only wish
I could return you all the things I have received from your
generosity。
〃Ah！ my kind Hector； I may have flirted； and have seemed to you to
be fickle； but you did not know your Valerie； she liked to tease
you； but she loves you better than any one in the world。
〃He cannot prevent your coming to see your cousin； I will arrange
with her that we have speech with each other。 My dear old boy；
write me just a line； pray； to comfort me in the absence of your
dear self。 （Oh； I would give one of my hands to have you by me on
our sofa！） A letter will work like a charm； write me something
full of your noble soul； I will return your note to you； for I
must be cautious； I should not know where to hide it； he pokes his
nose in everywhere。 In short； comfort your Valerie； your little
wife； the mother of your child。To think of my having to write to
you； when I used to see you every day。 As I say to Lisbeth； 'I did
not know how happy I was。' A thousand kisses； dear boy。 Be true to
your
〃VALERIE。〃
〃And tears！〃 said Hulot to himself as he finished this letter； 〃tears
which have blotted out her name。How is she？〃 said he to Reine。
〃Madame is in bed； she has dreadful spasms；〃 replied Reine。 〃She had a
fit of hysterics that twisted her like a withy round a faggot。 It came
on after writing。 It comes of crying so much。 She heard monsieur's
voice on the stairs。〃
The Baron in his distress wrote the following note on office paper
with a printed heading：
〃Be quite easy； my angel； he will die a second…class clerk！Your
idea is admirable； we will go and live far from Paris； where we
shall be happy with our little Hector； I will retire on my
pension； and I shall be sure to find some good appointment on a
railway。
〃Ah； my sweet friend； I feel so much the younger for your letter！
I shall begin life again and make a fortune； you will see； for our
dear little one。 As I read your letter； a thousand times more
ardent than those of the /Nouvelle Heloise/； it worked a miracle！
I had not believed it possible that I could love you more。 This
evening； at Lisbeth's you will see
〃YOUR HECTOR； FOR LIFE。〃
Reine carried off this reply； the first letter the Baron had written
to his 〃sweet friend。〃 Such emotions to some extent counterbalanced
the disasters growling in the distance； but the Baron； at this moment
believing he could certainly avert the blows aimed at his uncle；
Johann Fischer； thought only of the deficit。
One of the characteristics of the Bonapartist temperament is a firm
belief in the power of the sword； and confidence in the superiority of
the military over civilians。 Hulot laughed to scorn the Public
Prosecutor in Algiers； where the War Office is supreme。 Man is always
what he has once been。 How can the officers of the Imperial Guard
forget that time was when the mayors of the largest towns in the
Empire and the Emperor's prefects； Emperors themselves on a minute
scale； would come out to meet the Imperial Guard； to pay their
respects on the borders of the Departments through which it passed；
and to do it； in short； the homage due to sovereigns？
At half…past four the baron went straight to Madame Marneffe's； his
heart beat as high as a young man's as he went upstairs； for he was
asking himself this question； 〃Shall I see her？ or shall I not？〃
How was he now to remember the scene of the morning when his weeping
children had knelt at his feet？ Valerie's note； enshrined for ever in
a thin pocket…book over his heart； proved to him that she loved him
more than the mos