“Come here and help me to soften your dear husband, madame?” said Chesnel, still on his knees.  Mme. du Croisier made him rise with every sign of profound astonishment.  Chesnel explained his errand; and when she knew it, the generous daughter of the intendants of the Ducs de Alencon turned to du Croisier with tears in her eyes.

“Ah! monsieur, can you hesitate?  The d’Esgrignons, the honor of the province!” she said.

“There is more in it than that,” exclaimed du Croisier, rising to begin his restless walk again.

“More?  What more?” asked Chesnel in amazement.

“France is involved, M. Chesnel!  It is a question of the country, of the people, of giving my lords your nobles a lesson, and teaching them that there is such a thing as justice, and law, and a bourgeoisie—­a lesser nobility as good as they, and a match for them!  There shall be no more trampling down half a score of wheat fields for a single hare; no bringing shame on families by seducing unprotected girls; they shall not look down on others as good as they are, and mock at them for ten whole years, without finding out at last that these things swell into avalanches, and those avalanches will fall and crush and bury my lords the nobles.  You want to go back to the old order of things.  You want to tear up the social compact, the Charter in which our rights are set forth—–­”

“And so?”

“Is it not a sacred mission to open the people’s eyes?” cried du Croisier.  “Their eyes will be opened to the morality of your party when they see nobles going to be tried at the Assize Court like Pierre and Jacques.  They will say, then, that small folk who keep their self-respect are as good as great folk that bring shame on themselves.  The Assize Court is a light for all the world.  Here, I am the champion of the people, the friend of law.  You yourselves twice flung me on the side of the people—­once when you refused an alliance, twice when you put me under the ban of your society.  You are reaping as you have sown.”

If Chesnel was startled by this outburst, so no less was Mme. du Croisier.  To her this was a terrible revelation of her husband’s character, a new light not merely on the past but on the future as well.  Any capitulation on the part of the colossus was apparently out of the question; but Chesnel in no wise retreated before the impossible.

“What, monsieur?” said Mme. du Croisier.  “Would you not forgive?  Then you are not a Christian.”

“I forgive as God forgives, madame, on certain conditions.”

“And what are they?” asked Chesnel, thinking that he saw a ray of hope.

“The elections are coming on; I want the votes at your disposal.”

“You shall have them.”

“I wish that we, my wife and I, should be received familiarly every evening, with an appearance of friendliness at any rate, by M. le Marquis d’Esgrignon and his circle,” continued du Croisier.