On this occasion the mistress of the house appeared preoccupied.
Madame Granson was the first to perceive the quite unnatural state of the old maid's mind,--Mademoiselle Cormon was thinking!
"What are you thinking of, cousin?" she said at last, finding her seated in the boudoir.
"I am thinking," she replied, "of that poor girl.As the president of the Maternity Society, I will give you fifty francs for her.""Fifty francs!" cried Madame Granson."But you have never given as much as that.""But, my dear cousin, it is so natural to have children."That immoral speech coming from the heart of the old maid staggered the treasurer of the Maternity Society.Du Bousquier had evidently advanced in the estimation of Mademoiselle Cormon.
"Upon my word," said Madame Granson, "du Bousquier is not only a monster, he is a villain.When a man has done a wrong like that, he ought to pay the indemnity.Isn't it his place rather than ours to look after the girl?--who, to tell you the truth, seems to me rather questionable; there are plenty of better men in Alencon than that cynic du Bousquier.A girl must be depraved, indeed, to go after him.""Cynic! Your son teaches you to talk Latin, my dear, which is wholly incomprehensible.Certainly I don't wish to excuse Monsieur du Bousquier; but pray explain to me why a woman is depraved because she prefers one man to another.""My dear cousin, suppose you married my son Athanase; nothing could be more natural.He is young and handsome, full of promise, and he will be the glory of Alencon; and yet everybody will exclaim against you:
evil tongues will say all sorts of things; jealous women will accuse you of depravity,--but what will that matter? you will be loved, and loved truly.If Athanase seemed to you an idiot, my dear, it is that he has too many ideas; extremes meet.He lives the life of a girl of fifteen; he has never wallowed in the impurities of Paris, not he!