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Even though he proved a D'Estourny； would you love him still？〃
〃Oh； my father！ you do not know your daughter。 Could I love a coward；
a man without honor； without faith？〃
〃But suppose he had deceived you？〃
〃He？ that honest； candid soul； half melancholy？ You are joking；
father； or else you have never met him。〃
〃But you see now that your love is not inextinguishable； as you chose
to call it。 I have already made you admit that circumstances could
alter your poem； don't you now see that fathers are good for
something？〃
〃You want to give me a lecture； papa； it is positively l'Ami des
Enfants over again。〃
〃Poor deceived girl；〃 said her father； sternly； 〃it is no lecture of
mine； I count for nothing in it； indeed； I am only trying to soften
the blow。〃
〃Father； don't play tricks with my life；〃 exclaimed Modeste； turning
pale。
〃Then； my daughter； summon all your courage。 It is you who have been
playing tricks with your life； and life is now tricking you。〃
Modeste looked at her father in stupid amazement。
〃Suppose that young man whom you love； whom you saw four days ago at
church in Havre； was a deceiver？〃
〃Never！〃 she cried； 〃that noble head； that pale face full of poetry〃
〃was a lie；〃 said the colonel interrupting her。 〃He was no more
Monsieur de Canalis than I am that sailor over there putting out to
sea。〃
〃Do you know what you are killing in me？〃 she said in a low voice。
〃Comfort yourself； my child； though accident has put the punishment of
your fault into the fault itself； the harm done is not irreparable。
The young man whom you have seen； and with whom you exchanged hearts
by correspondence； is a loyal and honorable fellow； he came to me and
confided everything。 He loves you； and I have no objection to him as a
son…in…law。〃
〃If he is not Canalis； who is he then？〃 said Modeste in a changed
voice。
〃The secretary； his name is Ernest de La Briere。 He is not a nobleman；
but he is one of those plain men with fixed principles and sound
morality who satisfy parents。 However； that is not the point； you have
seen him and nothing can change your heart； you have chosen him；
comprehend his soul； it is as beautiful as he himself。〃
The count was interrupted by a heavy sigh from Modeste。 The poor girl
sat with her eyes fixed on the sea； pale and rigid as death； as if a
pistol shot had struck her in those fatal words； A PLAIN MAN； WITH
FIXED PRINCIPLES AND SOUND MORALITY。
〃Deceived！〃 she said at last。
〃Like your poor sister； but less fatally。〃
〃Let us go home； father；〃 she said； rising from the hillock on which
they were sitting。 〃Papa； hear me； I swear before God to obey your
wishes； whatever they may be； in the AFFAIR of my marriage。〃
〃Then you don't love him any longer？〃 asked her father。
〃I loved an honest man； with no falsehood on his face； upright as
yourself； incapable of disguising himself like an actor； with the
paint of another man's glory on his cheeks。〃
〃You said nothing could change you〃； remarked the colonel； ironically。
〃Ah； do not trifle with me！〃 she exclaimed； clasping her hands and
looking at her father in distressful anxiety； 〃don't you see that you
are wringing my heart and destroying my beliefs with your jokes。〃
〃God forbid！ I have told you the exact truth。〃
〃You are very kind； father；〃 she said after a pause； and with a sort
of solemnity。
〃He has kept your letters；〃 resumed the colonel； 〃now suppose the rash
caresses of your soul had fallen into the hands of one of those poets
who； as Dumay says； light their cigars with them？〃
〃Oh！you are going too far。〃
〃Canalis told him so。〃
〃Has Dumay seen Canalis？〃
〃Yes；〃 answered her father。
The two walked along in silence。
〃So that is why that GENTLEMAN；〃 resumed Modeste； 〃told me so much
harm of poets and poetry； no wonder the little secretary said Why；〃
she added； interrupting herself； 〃his virtues； his noble qualities；
his fine sentiments are nothing but an epistolary theft！ The man who
steals glory and a name may very likely〃
〃break locks； steal purses； and cut people's throats on the
highway；〃 cried the colonel。 〃Ah； you young girls； that's just like
you；with your peremptory opinions and your ignorance of life。 A man
who once deceives a woman was born under the scaffold on which he
ought to die。〃
This ridicule stopped Modeste's effervescence for a moment and least；
and again there was silence。
〃My child；〃 said the colonel； presently； 〃men in society； as in nature
everywhere； are made to win the hearts of women； and women must defend
themselves。 You have chosen to invert the parts。 Was that wise？
Everything is false in a false position。 The first wrong…doing was
yours。 No； a man is not a monster because he seeks to please a woman；
it is our right to win her by aggression with all its consequences；
short of crime and cowardice。 A man may have many virtues even if he
does deceive a woman； if he deceives her； it is because he finds her
wanting in some of the treasures that he sought in her。 None but a
queen； an actress； or a woman placed so far above a man that she seems
to him a queen； can go to him of herself without incurring blameand
for a young girl to do it！ Why； she is false to all that God has given
her that is sacred and lovely and noble；no matter with what grace or
what poetry or what precautions she surrounds her fault。〃
〃To seek the master and find the servant！〃 she said bitterly； 〃oh！ I
can never recover from it！〃
〃Nonsense！ Monsieur Ernest de La Briere is； to my thinking； fully the
equal of the Baron de Canalis。 He was private secretary of a cabinet
minister； and he is now counsel for the Court of Claims； he has a
heart； and he adores you； buthe DOES NOT WRITE VERSES。 No； I admit；
he is not a poet； but for all that he may have a heart full of poetry。
At any rate； my dear girl；〃 added her father； as Modeste made a
gesture of disgust； 〃you are to see both of them； the sham and the
true Canalis〃
〃Oh； papa！〃
〃Did you not swear just now to obey me in everything； even in the
AFFAIR of your marriage？ Well； I allow you to choose which of the two
you like best for a husband。 You have begun by a poem； you shall
finish with a bucolic； and try if you can discover the real character
of these gentlemen here； in the country； on a few hunting or fishing
excursions。〃
Modeste bowed her head and walked home with her father； listening to
what he said but replying only in monosyllables。
CHAPTER XVI
DISENCHANTED
The poor girl had fallen humiliated from the alp she had scaled in
search of her eagle's nest； into the mud of the swamp below； where （to
use the poetic language of an author of our day） 〃after feeling the
soles of her feet too tender to tread the broken glass of reality；
Imaginationwhich in that delicate bosom united the whole of
womanhood； from the vio