I was compelled to accept it, and to wait until I could return
your gift to you. I have no right to complain that you pained me with
it, since one who occupies my position ought, I presume, to consider
remembrance, even by an outrage, an honor done to him by the Princesse
Corona."
As he said the last words he laid on the table that stood near him the
gold of Chateauroy's insult. She had listened with a bewildering wonder,
held in check by the haughtier impulse of offense, that a man in this
grade could venture thus to address, thus to arraign her. His words
were totally incomprehensible to her, though, by the grave rebuke of his
manner, she saw that they were fully meant, and, as he considered, fully
authorized by some wrong done to him. As he laid the gold pieces down
upon her table, an idea of the truth came to her.
"I know nothing of what you complain of; I sent you no money. What is it
you would imply?" she asked him, looking up from where she leaned back
in the low couch into whose depth she had sunk as he had spoken.
"You did not send me these? Not as payment for the chess service?"
"Absolutely not. After what you said the other day, I should have
scarcely been so ill-bred and so heedless of inflicting pain. Who used
my name thus?"
His face lightened with a pleasure and a relief that changed it
wonderfully; that brighter look of gladness had been a stranger to it
for so many years.
"You give me infinite happiness, madame.
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