Speak, what price must I
pay you?"
Corentin quivered.
"I came to take your orders, Marie," he said, raising her. "Yes,
Marie, your insults will not hinder my devotion to your wishes,
provided you will promise not to deceive me again; you must know by
this time that no one dupes me with impunity."
"If you want me to love you, Corentin, help me to save him."
"At what hour is he coming?" asked the spy, endeavoring to ask the
question calmly.
"Alas, I do not know."
They looked at each other in silence.
"I am lost!" thought Mademoiselle de Verneuil.
"She is deceiving me!" thought Corentin. "Marie," he continued, "I
have two maxims. One is never to believe a single word a woman says to
me--that's the only means of not being duped; the other is to find
what interest she has in doing the opposite of what she says, and
behaving in contradiction to the facts she pretends to confide to me.
I think that you and I understand each other now."
"Perfectly," replied Mademoiselle de Verneuil. "You want proofs of my
good faith; but I reserve them for the time when you give me some of
yours."
"Adieu, mademoiselle," said Corentin, coolly.
"Nonsense," said the girl, smiling; "sit down, and pray don't sulk;
but if you do I shall know how to save the marquis without you. As for
the three hundred thousand francs which are always spread before your
eyes, I will give them to you in good gold as soon as the marquis is
safe.
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