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of your own ambition。
〃I wish to speak of him no more than I must。 After this； I trust
never to speak of him again。 Before the lines of our lives crossed；
I knew him for what he was； I knew the report of him that ran the
countryside。 Even then I found him detestable。 You heard him
allude last night to the unfortunate La Binet。 You heard him plead；
in extenuation of his fault； his mode of life； his rearing。 To that
there is no answer； I suppose。 He conforms to type。 Enough！ But
to me； he was the embodiment of evil； just as you have always been
the embodiment of good； he was the embodiment of sin； just as you
are the embodiment of purity。 I had enthroned you so high； Aline；
so high； and yet no higher than your place。 Could I； then； suffer
that you should be dragged down by ambition； could I suffer the
evil I detested to mate with the good I loved？ What could have
come of it but your own damnation； as I told you that day at
Gavrillac？ Because of that my detestation of him became a personal；
active thing。 I resolved to save you at all costs from a fate so
horrible。 Had you been able to tell me that you loved him it would
have been different。 I should have hoped that in a union sanctified
by love you would have raised him to your own pure heights。 But
that out of considerations of worldly advancement you should
lovelessly consent to mate with him。。。 Oh； it was vile and hopeless。
And so I fought him … a rat fighting a lion … fought him relentlessly
until I saw that love had come to take in your heart the place of
ambition。 Then I desisted。〃
〃Until you saw that love had taken the place of ambition！〃 Tears
had been gathering in her eyes whilst he was speaking。 Now
amazement eliminated her emotion。 〃But when did you see that？
When？〃
〃I … I was mistaken。 I know it now。 Yet； at the time。。。 surely；
Aline； that morning when you came to beg me not to keep my
engagement with him in the Bois； you were moved by concern for him？〃
〃For him！ It was concern for you；〃 she cried； without thinking
what she said。
But it did not convince him。 〃For me？ When you knew … when all
the world knew what I had been doing daily for a week！〃
〃Ah； but he； he was different from the others you had met。 His
reputation stood high。 My uncle accounted him invincible； he
persuaded me that if you met nothing could save you。〃
He looked at her frowning。
〃Why this； Aline？〃 he asked her with some sternness。 〃I can
understand that； having changed since then； you should now wish
to disown those sentiments。 It is a woman's way； I suppose。〃
〃Oh； what are you saying； Andre？ How wrong you are！ It is the
truth I have told you！〃
〃And was it concern for me；〃 he asked her； 〃that laid you swooning
when you saw him return wounded from the meeting？ That was what
opened my eyes。〃
〃Wounded？ I had not seen his wound。 I saw him sitting alive and
apparently unhurt in his caleche； and I concluded that he had
killed you as he had said he would。 What else could I conclude？〃
He saw light； dazzling； blinding； and it scared him。 He fell back；
a hand to his brow。 〃And that was why you fainted？〃 he asked
incredulously。
She looked at him without answering。 As she began to realize how
much she had been swept into saying by her eagerness to make him
realize his error； a sudden fear came creeping into her eyes。
He held out both hands to her。
〃Aline！ Aline！〃 His voice broke on the name。 〃It was I。。。 〃
〃0 blind Andre； it was always you … always！ Never； never did I
think of him； not even for loveless marriage； save once for a
little while； when。。。 when that theatre girl came into your life；
and then。。。 〃 She broke off； shrugged； and turned her head away。
〃I thought of following ambition； since there was nothing left
to follow。〃
He shook himself。 〃I am dreaming； of course； or else I am mad；〃
he said。
〃Blind； Andre； just blind；〃 she assured him。
〃Blind only where it would have been presumption to have seen。〃
〃And yet；〃 she answered him with a flash of the Aline he had known
of old； 〃I have never found you lack presumption。〃
M。 de Kercadiou； emerging a moment later from the library window；
beheld them holding hands and staring each at the other；
beatifically； as if each saw Paradise in the other's face。
End