“You were forewarned,” he said, “and you have promised all she wanted!
Do you not think she might have made you sign your own death-sentence?”
“But Kergrist?” said Daniel. “Kergrist’s brother is her friend.”
“I dare say. But do you imagine that brother is any cleverer than you
are?”
Although he was by no means fully satisfied, Daniel went on, describing
his amazement when Miss Brandon told him that she did not love Count
Ville-Handry.
But Maxime burst out laughing, and interrupted him, saying with bitter
irony,--
“Of course! And then she went on, telling you that she had never yet
loved anybody, having vainly looked in the world for the man of whom she
dreamed. She painted to you the phoenix in such colors, that you had to
say to yourself, ‘What does she mean? That phoenix! Why, she means me!’
That has tickled you prodigiously. She has thrown herself at your
feet; you have raised her up; she has fainted; she has sobbed like a
distressed dove in your arms; you have lost your head.”