human
Stop that, monsieur, I beg; we have not yet reached the point at which I owe you any recompense; and I am not the woman to pay in advance.
gpt
But it seems to me that I have done all that we agreed upon. When I first met you in society some months ago, I experienced, as many other men did, the power of your charms; when I spoke to you of my love, you said--and these are your very words, I have not forgotten them: 'You are very intimate with young Albert Vermoncey, are you not? Well, keep me informed of everything that young man does, promise to do everything for me that I ask you to do, and I will reward your devotion.'--Isn't that what you said?
human
Exactly; not a word changed. When I first met you, monsieur, young Albert was already paying court to me; you very quickly joined the ranks, which was quite natural; Albert was your friend, so you naturally tried to supplant him. That sort of thing is always done among friends.
gpt
But, madame----
human
Isn't that true, monsieur?
gpt
When love speaks louder than friendship----
human
Ha! ha! delicious! But, do you know, it was not worth while to interrupt me to say that. I formed my judgment of you on the spot, and I said to myself: 'I should like to amuse myself at the expense of young Vermoncey; I propose that he shall be my victim, that he shall learn that all women are not overjoyed to yield to him. Here's a gentleman who will second my projects to perfection; he is an intimate friend of Albert, and he is paying court to me because he sees that his friend is very much in love with me; so that I may be certain that he will ask nothing better than to assist me in setting snares for the man I propose to make a fool of.'--Thereupon I made my propositions to you, and you accepted them. And now, monsieur, it doesn't seem to me that you have any reason to reproach me.
gpt
But when is there to be an end of it all, madame? When will you cease to torment poor Albert--and when will you reward my love?
human
Mon Dieu! monsieur, you are very inquisitive, in a very great hurry. I cannot tell you yet.
gpt
You see, I sometimes say to myself---- Excuse my frankness, madame.
human
Oh! speak freely; frankness from you will astonish but not offend me.
gpt
I say to myself: 'Is it not possible that I myself am Madame Baldimer's dupe, while fancying that I am helping her to make a fool of Albert? She wants to know everything that my rival does; if he acts as if he had forgotten her, I give her that information, and she soon appears before him, he finds her wherever he goes, and he does not hold out long against the glances she fastens upon him. It seems to me that a woman who was in love with Albert would act in that very way, and it would be quite interesting if Madame Baldimer were amusing herself at my expense, while I am thinking that it is Albert she wants to make a fool of!'
human
Ah! you have thought that, have you, monsieur? Upon my word, that would be most original; and, to speak frankly, you deserve to be treated in that way.
gpt
How so, madame?
human
But don't be alarmed, it is not so at all. I am not in love with Monsieur Albert. I, love him! on the contrary, I hate him!
gpt
You hate him! repeated Célestin, in a doubting tone.
human
Hm! that is rather strange; a woman doesn't ordinarily hate a man who has never been her lover. I should like it better if Albert were indifferent to you. Indifference is further from love than hatred is.
gpt
You may be perfectly sure, monsieur, that that young man's alleged passion for me will never be satisfied. But it is my pleasure that it shall not die out--on the contrary, that it shall become more and more ardent. Whether it is coquetry, hatred, caprice, or some other sentiment, that prompts my action--that is my secret, monsieur, and I do not choose to tell you anything more. Now, if you do not care to assist my designs any further, go, monsieur; it is useless for you to stay here any longer.
human
Mon Dieu! madame, how quick you are! how prompt in forming your resolutions! Be calm, I implore you! there is no rupture in our relations; I am your slave, as always. Speak! command! I am at your service. Too happy to wear your chains, as I hope that some day my love will be crowned.
gpt
Very good, rejoined Madame Baldimer, with a smile;
human
Am I to conceal nothing?
gpt
That was our agreement, as you know.
human
He has seen Madame Plays again.
gpt
Madame Plays---- Ah! very good; I can guess why.
human
That woman has been his mistress; and when a man returns to a former mistress, it is very easy to guess why.
gpt
You are no better than a fool!
human
What else?
gpt
He has called here several times to find out whether you had returned from the country.
human
I know that; my concierge told me.
gpt
Your absence has seemed very long to him--especially as you didn't tell him where you were going.
human
Ah! he would have liked to know--and so would you, wouldn't you? But go on.
gpt
Why, that's all.
human
What! no new intrigues, no escapades, no card parties?
gpt
No, nothing--for the last few days we have been so virtuous!
human
No husbands deceived, no rivals to dread?
gpt
Nothing of the sort. There was a wager on the subject of a very pretty grisette, who is courted by a messenger; but Albert refused to go into it. Indeed, the thing isn't so easy as I thought at first. This very morning, I believed I had won my bet; my plans were carefully laid--the girl ought to have stepped into a very clever trap that I had laid for her. But, not at all; she avoided it! Those little grisettes sometimes have the presumption to insist on being virtuous. We should be very much to be pitied, if we hadn't the ladies of fashionable society to fall back on.
human
Ah! that's an unkind fling of yours; but beware; there are some great flirts who may do as the grisettes do; one must not be sure of anything in this world. Let us return to what you were saying: a very pretty grisette, and a messenger for your rival. Do you know, that would be very interesting! Messengers are not long-suffering, and they don't stand by and allow their loves to be taken from them with the complaisance and patience of the majority of our husbands in fashionable society. You really must involve Albert in this intrigue. He must fall in love with this grisette. If she is pretty, I see no great difficulty about it; and you are so clever, Monsieur Célestin, surely you can bring it about. Oh! it would be so amusing!
gpt
Well, monsieur, don't you hear me?
human
Yes, madame; yes, I hear you perfectly. But I confess that I don't understand you! and my brain is in a whirl when I try to divine your object. You do all that you can to turn Albert's head. If he seems to be a little less enamored of you, you redouble your fascinations and coquetries to bring him to your feet; and, lo! you insist now that your adorer shall fall in love with a pretty grisette, and scold me because my friend is not involved in a lot of other intrigues! I say again, all this is infernally hard to understand.
gpt
But it isn't necessary that you should understand me, monsieur; it is enough, it seems to me, that it is my wish.
human
I am very sorry, madame, but you should not do so much to inflame Albert's passion for yourself. He, who used to take fire at the mere sight of a woman, is indifferent now to the loveliest; and it is your fault.
gpt
Really! Do you think that he loves me to that point?
human
I am afraid so, for his sake.
gpt
Adieu, Monsieur de Valnoir! our interview has been very long, and I have nothing further to ask you.
human
Shall I see you soon?
gpt
I think so; however, I will write, as before, when I have anything to ask you. I do not need to remind you that Albert must not know that you have seen me.
human
A strange woman! muttered Célestin, looking around the room in surprise.
gpt
Gad! I have known a great many of them, but never one whose heart was so difficult to decipher as hers. Never mind; she is very beautiful, very refined, very fashionable, and it will be delicious to whisk her away from my dear friend Albert.
human
Victory! he is ours! we have him, or at least we shall have him this evening!
gpt
Whom are you talking about?
human
Parbleu! little Tobie, the man of the fetich.
gpt
The deuce! who found him?
human
Bastringuette, apparently; for she just left a message with a waiter at Tortoni's, who repeated it to me not a minute ago, that the young man we want will be at the Pâté des Italiens this evening.
gpt
Ah! that is delicious; do the others know it?
human
No, as I have just learned of it. But I will undertake to tell Balivan, and you must let Albert know. Let us all meet here to-night at eight. Tobie is to be on Place des Italiens at nine, and we must meet earlier than that.
gpt
Very good; we will be there.