Her companion uttered a rapid expletive, and reproached her with not
having been to see him. She hesitated a moment; then she simpered the
least bit and bridled. "He comes to see me--without reproach! But it
would not be the same for me to go to him, though, indeed, you may almost
call him a man of holy life."
"He has the greatest admiration for you," I said. "He would have been
honoured by your visit."
She looked at me a moment sharply. "More admiration than you. Admit
that!" Of course I protested with all the eloquence at my command, and
my mysterious hostess then confessed that she had taken no fancy to me on
my former visit, and that, Theobald not having returned, she believed I
had poisoned his mind against her. "It would be no kindness to the poor
gentleman, I can tell you that," she said. "He has come to see me every
evening for years. It's a long friendship! No one knows him as well as
I."
"I don't pretend to know him or to understand him," I said. "He's a
mystery! Nevertheless, he seems to me a little--" And I touched my
forehead and waved my hand in the air.
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