“Ah, old witches! I see clearly you do not believe in Jacques’s
innocence. Why else should his family be so very anxious to see him? No
doubt they want to enable him to escape by suicide the punishment of his
crime. But, by the great God, that shall not be, if I can help it!”
M. Folgat was, as we have seen, excessively annoyed at this step taken
by the Misses Lavarande; but he did not let it be seen. It was very
necessary that he at least should retain perfect presence of mind and
calmness in this cruelly tried family. M. de Chandore, on the other
hand, could not conceal his dissatisfaction so well; and, in spite of
his deference to his grandchild’s wishes, he said,--
“I am sure, my dear child, I don’t wish to blame you. But you know your
aunts, and you know, also, how uncompromising they are. They are quite
capable of exasperating M. Galpin.”
“What does it matter?” asked the young girl haughtily. “Circumspection
is all very well for guilty people; but Jacques is innocent.”
“Miss Chandore is right,” said M. Folgat, who seemed to succumb to
Dionysia like the rest of the family. “Whatever the ladies may have
done, they cannot make matters worse. M. Galpin will be none the less
our bitter enemy.”