“Oh, I know whom you mean, sir. You are well instructed. Yes, Gilbert loved higher than the poor Nicole: you are possessed of terrible secrets, sir; tell me, if you can,” she continued, looking earnestly at him, “what has become of him?”
“Because if he followed you from Taverney to Paris, you followed him from Paris to Trianon.”
“Yes, that is true, but that is ten years ago; and I wished to know what had passed since the time I ran away, and since he disappeared. When Gilbert loved Mademoiselle de——”
“Well, then, when he loved her so much that each tree at Trianon was witness to his love——”
“On the contrary, I loved him more than ever; and this love was my ruin. I am beautiful, proud, and, when I please, insolent; and would lay my head on the scaffold rather than confess myself despised.”
“No, it does me good to speak of my youth. But tell me why Gilbert fled from Trianon.”
“Do you wish me to confirm a suspicion, or to tell you something you do not know.”
“Well, I cannot tell you this. Have you not heard that he is dead?”
“Dead!” said Nicole, with an air of doubt. Then, with a sudden start, “Grant me one favor!” she cried.
“I saw you two hours ago; for it was you, was it not?”
“You did not, then, try to disguise yourself?”
“But I was stupid; I saw you, but I did not observe you.”
“Oh, you cannot fear other people seeing you. Here, behind this column, you will be quite hidden. You fear that I should recognize you.”
“And that I should cry, ‘It is you—it is Gilbert!’”
“Yes, on one condition—that you will take off yours, if I ask it.”
“Agreed.” The unknown took off his immediately.
Oliva looked earnestly at him, then sighed, and said:
“And if it had been Gilbert?” said he, as he put on his mask again.
“Ah! if it had been,” cried she passionately, “and he had said to me, ‘Nicole, do you remember Taverney Maison-Rouge?’ then there would have been no longer a Beausire in the world for me.”
“But I have told you, my dear child, that Gilbert is dead.”
“Ah! perhaps, then, it is for the best,” said Oliva, with a sigh.
“Yes; he would never have loved you, beautiful as you are.”
“Do not repeat my words; in your mouth they wound me.”
“But it is better for Mademoiselle Oliva. You observe, I abandon Nicole, and speak to Oliva. You have before you a future, happy, rich, and brilliant.”