like　the　gentlemen　of　the　road　in　England；　is　not　at　all　within　my
  code　of　manners。　You　poor　child；　you　know　only　how　to　love；　you　don't
  know　how　to　live。　Besides；　I　am　not　like　you　as　yet；　dear　angel；　I
  don't　like　morality。　Still；　I　am　capable　of　great　efforts　to　please
  you。　Yes；　I　will　go　to　work；　I　will　learn　how　to　preach；　you　shall
  have　no　more　kisses　without　verses　of　the　Bible　interlarded。〃
  She　used　her　power　and　abused　it　as　soon　as　she　saw　in　my　eyes　the
  ardent　expression　which　was　always　there　when　she　began　her　sorceries。
  She　triumphed　over　everything；　and　I　complacently　told　myself　that　the
  woman　who　loses　all；　sacrifices　the　future；　and　makes　love　her　only
  virtue；　is　far　above　Catholic　polemics。
  〃So　she　loves　herself　better　than　she　loves　you？〃　Arabella　went　on。
  〃She　sets　something　that　is　not　you　above　you。　Is　that　love？　how　can
  we　women　find　anything　to　value　in　ourselves　except　that　which　you
  value　in　us？　No　woman；　no　matter　how　fine　a　moralist　she　may　be；　is
  the　equal　of　a　man。　Tread　upon　us；　kill　us；　never　embarrass　your　lives
  on　our　account。　It　is　for　us　to　die；　for　you　to　live；　great　and
  honored。　For　us　the　dagger　in　your　hand；　for　you　our　pardoning　love。
  Does　the　sun　think　of　the　gnats　in　his　beams；　that　live　by　his　light？
  they　stay　as　long　as　they　can　and　when　he　withdraws　his　face　they
  die〃
  〃Or　fly　somewhere　else；〃　I　said　interrupting　her。
  〃Yes；　somewhere　else；〃　she　replied；　with　an　indifference　that　would
  have　piqued　any　man　into　using　the　power　with　which　she　invested　him。
  〃Do　you　really　think　it　is　worthy　of　womanhood　to　make　a　man　eat　his
  bread　buttered　with　virtue；　and　to　persuade　him　that　religion　is
  incompatible　with　love？　Am　I　a　reprobate？　A　woman　either　gives　herself
  or　she　refuses。　But　to　refuse　and　moralize　is　a　double　wrong；　and　is
  contrary　to　the　rule　of　the　right　in　all　lands。　Here；　you　will　get
  only　excellent　sandwiches　prepared　by　the　hand　of　your　servant
  Arabella；　whose　sole　morality　is　to　imagine　caresses　no　man　has　yet
  felt　and　which　the　angels　inspire。〃
  I　know　nothing　more　destructive　than　the　wit　of　an　Englishwoman；　she
  gives　it　the　eloquent　gravity；　the　tone　of　pompous　conviction　with
  which　the　British　hide　the　absurdities　of　their　life　of　prejudice。
  French　wit　and　humor；　on　the　other　hand；　is　like　a　lace　with　which　our
  women　adorn　the　joys　they　give　and　the　quarrels　they　invent；　it　is　a
  mental　jewelry；　as　charming　as　their　pretty　dresses。　English　wit　is　an
  acid　which　corrodes　all　those　on　whom　it　falls　until　it　bares　their
  bones；　which　it　scrapes　and　polishes。　The　tongue　of　a　clever
  Englishwoman　is　like　that　of　a　tiger　tearing　the　flesh　from　the　bone
  when　he　is　only　in　play。　All…powerful　weapon　of　a　sneering　devil；
  English　satire　leaves　a　deadly　poison　in　the　wound　it　makes。　Arabella
  chose　to　show　her　power　like　the　sultan　who；　to　prove　his　dexterity；
  cut　off　the　heads　of　unoffending　beings　with　his　own　scimitar。
  〃My　angel；〃　she　said；　〃I　can　talk　morality　too　if　I　choose。　I　have
  asked　myself　whether　I　commit　a　crime　in　loving　you；　whether　I　violate
  the　divine　laws；　and　I　find　that　my　love　for　you　is　both　natural　and
  pious。　Why　did　God　create　some　beings　handsomer　than　others　if　not　to
  show　us　that　we　ought　to　adore　them？　The　crime　would　be　in　not　loving
  you。　This　lady　insults　you　by　confounding　you　with　other　men；　the　laws
  of　morality　are　not　applicable　to　you；　for　God　has　created　you　above
  them。　Am　I　not　drawing　nearer　to　divine　love　in　loving　you？　will　God
  punish　a　poor　woman　for　seeking　the　divine？　Your　great　and　luminous
  heart　so　resembles　the　heavens　that　I　am　like　the　gnats　which　flutter
  about　the　torches　of　a　fete　and　burn　themselves；　are　they　to　be
  punished　for　their　error？　besides；　is　it　an　error？　may　it　not　be　pure
  worship　of　the　light？　They　perish　of　too　much　piety；if　you　call　it
  perishing　to　fling　one's　self　on　the　breast　of　him　we　love。　I　have　the
  weakness　to　love　you；　whereas　that　woman　has　the　strength　to　remain　in
  her　Catholic　shrine。　Now；　don't　frown。　You　think　I　wish　her　ill。　No；　I
  do　not。　I　adore　the　morality　which　has　led　her　to　leave　you　free；　and
  enables　me　to　win　you　and　hold　you　foreverfor　you　are　mine　forever；
  are　you　not？〃
  〃Yes。〃
  〃Forever　and　ever？〃
  〃Yes。〃
  〃Ah！　I　have　found　favor　in　my　lord！　I　alone　have　understood　his　worth！
  She　knows　how　to　cultivate　her　estate；　you　say。　Well；　I　leave　that　to
  farmers；　I　cultivate　your　heart。〃
  I　try　to　recall　this　intoxicating　babble；　that　I　may　picture　to　you
  the　woman　as　she　is；　confirm　all　I　have　said　of　her；　and　let　you　into
  the　secret　of　what　happened　later。　But　how　shall　I　describe　the
  accompaniment　of　the　words？　She　sought　to　annihilate　by　the　passion　of
  her　impetuous　love　the　impressions　left　in　my　heart　by　the　chaste　and
  dignified　love　of　my　Henriette。　Lady　Dudley　had　seen　the　countess　as
  plainly　as　the　countess　had　seen　her；　each　had　judged　the　other。　The
  force　of　Arabella's　attack　revealed　to　me　the　extent　of　her　fear；　and
  her　secret　admiration　for　her　rival。　In　the　morning　I　found　her　with
  tearful　eyes；　complaining　that　she　had　not　slept。
  〃What　troubles　you？〃　I　said。
  〃I　fear　that　my　excessive　love　will　ruin　me；〃　she　answered；　〃I　have
  given　all。　Wiser　than　I；　that　woman　possesses　something　that　you　still
  desire。　If　you　prefer　her；　forget　me；　I　will　not　trouble　you　with　my
  sorrows；　my　remorse；　my　sufferings；　no；　I　will　go　far　away　and　die；
  like　a　plant　deprived　of　the　life…giving　sun。〃
  She　was　able　to　wring　protestations　of　love　from　my　reluctant　lips；
  which　filled　her　with　joy。
  〃Ah！〃　she　exclaimed；　drying　her　eyes；　〃I　am　happy。　Go　back　to　her；　I
  do　not　choose　to　owe　you　to　the　force　of　my　love；　but　to　the　action　of
  your　own　will。　If　you　return　here　I　shall　know　that　you　love　me　as
  much　as　I　love　you；　the　possibility　of　which　I　have　always　doubted。〃
  She　persuaded　me　to　return　to　Clochegourde。　The　false　position　in
  which　I　thus　placed　myself　did　not　strike　me　while　still　under　the
  influence　of　her　wiles。　Yet；　had　I　refused　to　return　I　should　have
  given　Lady　Dudley　a　triumph　over　Henriette。　Arabella　would　then　have
  taken　me　to　Paris。　To　go　now　to　Clochegourde　was　an　open　insult　to
  Madame　de　Mortsauf；　in　that　case　Arabella　was　sure　of　me。　Did　any
  woman　ever　pardon　such　crimes　against　love？　Unless　she　were　an　angel
  descended　from　the　skies；　instead　of　a　purified　spirit　ascending　to
  them；　a　loving　woman　would　rather　see　her　lover　die　than　know　him
  happy　with　another。　Thus；　look　at　it　as　I　would；　my　situation；　after　I
  had　once　left　Clochegourde　for　the　Grenadiere；　was　as　fatal　to　the
  love　of　my　choice　as　it　was　profitable　to　the　transient　love　that　held
  me。　Lady　Dudley　had　calculated　all　this　with　consummate　cleverness。
  She　owned　to　me　later　that　if　she　had　not　met　Madame　de　Mortsauf　on
  the　moor　she　had　intended　to　compromise　me　by　haunting　Clochegourde
  until　she　did　so。
  When　I　met　the　countess　that　morning；　and　found　her　pale　and　depressed
  like　one　who　has　not　slept　all　night；　I　was　conscious　of　exercising
  the　instinctive　perception　given　to　hearts　still　fresh　and　generous　to
  show　them　the　true　bearing　of　actions　little　regarded　by　the　world　at
  large；　but　judged　as　criminal　by　lofty　spirits。　Like　a　child　going
  down　a　precipice　in　play　and　gathering　flowers；　who　sees　with　dread
  that　it　can　never　climb　that　height　again；　feels　itself　alone；　with
  night　approaching；　and　hears　the　howls　of　animals；　so　I　now　knew　that
  she　and　I　were　separated　by　a　universe。　A　wail　arose　within　our　souls
  like　an　echo　of　that　woeful　〃Consummatum　est〃　heard　in　the　churches　on
  Good　Friday　at　the　hour　the　Saviour　died；a　dreadful　scene　which　awes
  young　souls　whose　first　love　is　religion。　All　Henriette's　illusions
  were　killed　at　one　blow；　her　heart　had　endured　its　passion。　She　did
  not　look　at　me；　she　refused　me　the　light　that　for　six　long　years　had
  shone　upon　my　life。　She　knew　well　that　the　spring　of　the　effulgent
  rays　shed　by　our　eyes　was　in　our　souls；　to　which　they　served　as
  pathways　to　reach　each　other；　to　blend　them　in　one；　meeting；　parting；
  playing；　like　two　confiding　women　who　tell　each　other　all。　Bitterly　I
  felt　the　wrong　of　bringing　beneath　this　roof；　where　pleasure　was
  unknown；　a　face　on　which　the　wings　of　pleasure　had　shaken　their
  prismatic　dust。　If；　the　night　before；　I　had　allowed　Lady　Dudley　to
  depart　alone；　if　I　had　then　returned　to　Clochegourde；　where；　it　may
  be；　Henriette　awaited　me；　perhapsperhaps　Madame　de　Mortsauf　might
  not　so　cruelly　have　resolved　to　be　my　sister。　But　now　she　paid　me　many
  ostentatious　attentions；playing　her　part　vehemently　for　the　very
  purpose　of　not　changing　it。　During　breakfast　she　showed　me　a　thousand
  civilities；　humiliating　attentions；　caring　for　me　as　though　I　were　a
  sick　man　whose　fate　she　pitied。
  〃You　were　out　walking　early；〃　said　the　count；　〃I　hope　you　have　brought
  back　a　good　appetite；　you　whose　stomach　is　not　yet　destroyed。〃
  This