That will strike a blow at
Gouraud and Pierrette both! and you'll see the faces they'll make."
"Ah! that's true," cried the old maid, "I can serve them both right.
She shall go to a shop, and get nothing from me. She hasn't a sou; let
her do as we did,--work."
Vinet departed, having put his plan into Sylvie's head, her dogged
obstinacy being well-known to him. The old maid, he was certain, would
think the scheme her own, and carry it out.
The lawyer found the colonel in the square, smoking a cigar while he
waited for him.
"Halt!" said Gouraud; "you have pulled me down, but stones enough came
with me to bury you--"
"Colonel!--"
"Colonel or not, I shall give you your deserts. In the first place,
you shall not be deputy--"
"Colonel!--"
"I control ten votes and the election depends on--"
"Colonel, listen to me. Is there no one to marry but that old Sylvie?
I have just been defending you to her; you are accused and convicted
of writing to Pierrette; she saw you leave your house at midnight and
come to the girl's window--"
"Stuff and nonsense!"
"She means to marry her brother to Bathilde and leave her fortune to
their children."
"Rogron won't have any."
"Yes he will," replied Vinet. "But I promise to find you some young
and agreeable woman with a hundred and fifty thousand francs? Don't be
a fool; how can you and I afford to quarrel? Things have gone against
you in spite of all my care; but you don't understand me.
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