"All right," said I. "It would seem then that you had written something
very compromising to that soldier, whom you have never met and whom you
don't know."
"It was a letter for the modiste," she replied with assumed indignation.
"Yes, and you no doubt wanted him to deliver it," I retorted in an
ironical strain.
This last bitter dart went home and set her beside herself. She assumed
a superb attitude.
"I shall not give you any explanation," she said. "Believe whatever you
please. Do whatever you choose. As for myself, I know what I have to do
now. Since I am spied upon and treated in this fashion I have had enough
of leading such a life--I prefer to put an end to it at once!"
"And how do you purpose putting an end to it?" I resumed. "It will
perhaps be necessary to consult me a little bit on that subject."
"But you are neither my husband nor my brother, my dear fellow," she
exclaimed in the most airy way imaginable, "and I don't suppose that you
are going to talk to me any more of those stupid Turkish rights. We are
in Paris and I know that I am free!"
"Well, where will your freedom take you?"
"Oh! don't worry yourself about me--I should not have any trouble to
secure a husband. Do you imagine, my dear fellow, that I should be
embarrassed to find a position?"
This characteristic word showed me that she was far more completely
initiated than I had suspected.
"And you expect," I retorted, "to obtain this position from that fine
nobleman, eh?"
These disdainful words exasperated her; she lost all self-restraint and
burnt her ships.
"That fine nobleman is a duke!" she exclaimed vehemently. "I will not
allow you to insult him. And since you dare to threaten me, I will tell
you that I love him and that he adores me, and that he offers to marry
me and promises me every bliss--"
In spite of my misfortune I could not help laughing at this fiery
indignant declaration to which Zouhra's Turkish accent imparted an
irresistibly comic effect. My gaiety brought her anger to a climax.
Frenzied, decided upon everything, she darted to a chiffonier, drew out
an illuminated card, upon which two doves were pecking one another, and
threw it at me with a queenly air, exclaiming: "There, my dear fellow you will see if I still have any need of you!"