When severity had failed, he hoped to succeed by gentleness, that's all. Only this assumption of hypocritical meekness was too new to him to deceive any one. At every moment the mask fell off, the claws showed, and his voice trembled with ill-suppressed rage in the midst of his most honeyed phrases.
Moreover, he entertained the strangest illusions. Because for forty-eight hours he had acted the part of a good-natured man, because one Sunday he had taken his wife and daughter out riding in the Bois de Vincennes, because he had given Maxence a hundred-franc note, he imagined that it was all over, that the past was obliterated, forgotten, and forgiven.
And, drawing Gilberte upon his knees, "Well, daughter," he said, "you see that I don't importune you any more, and I leave you quite free. I am more reasonable than you are."
But on the other hand, and according to an expression which escaped him later, he tried to turn the enemy.
He did every thing in his power to spread in the neighborhood the rumor of Mlle. Gilberte's marriage with a financier of colossal wealth, - that elegant young man who came in a coupe with two horses.
Mme. Favoral could not enter a shop without being covertly complimented upon having found such a magnificent establishment for her daughter.
Loud, indeed, must have been the gossip; for its echo reached even the inattentive ears of the Signor Gismondo Pulei.
One day, suddenly interrupting his lesson, - "You are going to be married, signora?" he inquired.
Mlle. Gilberte started.
What the old Italian had heard, he would surely ere long repeat to Marius. It was therefore urgent to undeceive him.
"It is true," she replied, "that something has been said about a marriage, dear maestro."
"Ah, ah!"
"Only my father had not consulted me. That marriage will never take place: I swear it."
She expressed herself in a tone of such ardent conviction, that the old gentleman was quite astonished, little dreaming that it was not to him that this energetic denial was addressed.
"My destiny is irrevocably fixed," added Mlle. Gilberte. "When I marry, I will consult the inspirations of my heart only."
In the mean time, it was a veritable conspiracy against her. M.
Favoral had succeeded in interesting in the success of his designs his habitual guests, not M. and Mme. Desciavettes, who had been seduced from the first, but M. Chapelain and old Desormeaux himself.
So that they all vied with each other in their efforts to bring the "dear child" to reason, and to enlighten her with their counsels.
"Father must have a still more considerable interest in this alliance than he has allowed us to think," she remarked to her brother.
Maxence was also absolutely of the same opinion.
"And then," he added, "our father must be terribly rich; for, do not deceive yourself, it isn't solely for your pretty blue eyes that this Costeclar persists in coming here twice a week to pocket a new mortification. What enormous dowry can he be hoping for? I am going to speak to him myself, and try to find out what he is after."
But Mlle. Gilberte had but slight confidence in her brother's diplomacy.
"I beg of you," she said, "don't meddle with that business!"
"Yes, yes, I will! Fear nothing, I'll be prudent."
Having taken his resolution, Maxence placed himself on the lookout; and the very next day, as M. Costeclar was stepping out of his carriage at the door, he walked straight up to him.
"I wish to speak to you, sir," he said. Self-possessed as he was, the brilliant financier succeeded but poorly in concealing a surprise that looked very much like fright.
"I am going in to call on your parents, sir," he replied; "and whilst waiting for your father, with whom I have an appointment, I shall be at your command."
"No, no!" interrupted Maxence. "What I have to say must be heard by you alone. Come along this way, and we shall not be interrupted."
And he led M. Costeclar away as far as the Place Royal. Once there, "You are very anxious to marry my sister, sir," he commenced.
During their short walk M. Costeclar had recovered himself. He had resumed all his impertinent assurance. Looking at Maxence from head to foot with any thing but a friendly look, "It is my dearest and my most ardent wish, sir," he replied.
"Very well. But you must have noticed the very slight success, to use no harsher word, of your assiduities."
"Alas!"
"And, perhaps, you will judge, like myself, that it would be the act of a gentleman to withdraw in presence of such positive-repugnance?"
An ugly smile was wandering upon M. Costeclar's pale lips.
"Is it at the request of your sister, sir, that you make me this communication?"
"No, sir."
"Are you aware whether your sister has some inclination that may be an obstacle to the realization of my hopes?"
"Sir!"
"Excuse me! What I say has nothing to offend. It might very well be that your sister, before I had the honor of being introduced to her, had already fixed her choice."
He spoke so loud, that Maxence looked sharply around to see whether there was not some one within hearing. He saw no one but a young man, who seemed quite absorbed reading a newspaper.
"But, sir," he resumed, "what would you answer, if I, the brother of the young lady whom you wish to marry against her wishes, - I called upon you to cease your assiduities?
M. Costeclar bowed ceremoniously, "I would answer you, sir," he uttered, "that your father's assent is sufficient for me. My suit has nothing but is honorable. Your sister may not like me: that is a misfortune; but it is not irreparable. When she knows me better, I venture to hope that she will overcome her unjust prejudices. Therefore I shall persist."
Maxence insisted no more. He was irritated at M. Costeclar's coolness; but it was not his intention to push things further.
"There will always be time," he thought, "to resort to violent measures."
But when he reported this conversation to his sister, "It is clear," he said, "that, between our father and that man, there is a community of interests which I am unable to discover.