"Love me! why, what prevents you? Have you not as much right to love me as another man?"
"But let us understand each other, adorable siren! It is not cheerful to love all by one's self! Love is increased twofold when it is shared."
"Indeed! What a pity that it is not so with everything! I would become very charitable!"
"Look you, Camilla, have you not been faithful to Léodgard long enough? Frankly, you cover yourself with ridicule! A woman with such a wealth of attractions is a flower; it is not fair that a single man should inhale all her perfume!"
"Ah! marquis, you wish to plunder your friend's garden!"
"There are no friends where a lovely woman is concerned! Besides, Léodgard is becoming very unamiable of late--you must agree to that."
"Why, he is married, poor dear! and that is quite enough to change a man's expression!"
"Oh! little he cares for all that! Moreover, you are well aware that, although he is married, he lives absolutely as if he were a bachelor! But, I say again, he is no longer the roué, the jovial scapegrace, of the old days; one would say that he had grown fifteen years older; his features are altered, his face is always careworn or gloomy, he has forgotten how to laugh and drink; he must also have forgotten how to love!"
"Ah! do you think so? You may be mistaken. Léodgard always was of a fantastic humor."
"I have known him only as a man who was always laughing and singing!--Give me some hope, Camilla."
"Well! we shall see. The night is young yet. But here are more people coming; I must go to receive them."
The young marquis left Camilla, but he deemed himself sure of his triumph, and his face expressed his delight.
Flavia went to her friend a moment later and whispered:
"So it is the fascinating Sénange whom you have chosen for your victim?"
"Rather he, for he is very agreeable, and it would be a pity if anything should happen to him!"
"Nothing will happen to him. See how indifferent Léodgard is to me! He passed us while I was on the marquis's arm, and did not even notice us!"
"Oh! do not torment yourself!--Think of nothing but your fête--it is simply delicious! There are great numbers of very attractive gentlemen here; you expect nobody else, I suppose?"
"I believe that everybody has come.--Oh, yes! I did also invite--but I suspected that it would be useless; he will not come."