“Our respective roles seem to me somewhat inverted,” she said:  “it is I who am detaining you, and you wish to get rid of me!”

“Heaven preserve me from such an idea! but I am afraid lest you may deprive yourself, out of kindness to me, of a pleasure you are so fond of.”

“No!  I know very well that I seek you and you avoid me.  It is rather absurd in the eyes of the world, but I care nothing for that.  For this one evening at least, I mean to amuse myself as I like.  I forbid you to disturb my happiness.  I am really very happy.  I have everything I require—­beautiful flowers, excellent music around me, and a friend at my side.  Only—­and that’s a dark spot on my blue sky—­I am much more certain of the music and the flowers than I am of the friend.”

“You are entirely wrong.”

“Explain your conduct, then, once for all.  Why will you never talk seriously with me?  Why do you obstinately refuse to tell me one single word that savors of confidence, of intimacy—­of friendship, in a word?”

“Please reflect for a minute, madam; where would that lead us to?”

“What is that to you?  That would lead us where it would.  It is singular that you should be more anxious about it than I am.”

“Come, what would you think of me if I ventured to speak of love to you?”

“I don’t ask you to make love to me!” she said, sharply.

“I know it, madam; and yet it is the inevitable turn my language would take if it ceased for a moment to be frivolous and commonplace.  Now, admit that there is one man in the world who could not speak of love to you without incurring your contempt, and that I am that very man.  I cannot say that I am very much pleased with having placed myself in such a position; but, after all, it is so, and I cannot forget it.”

“That is showing a great deal of judgment.”

“That is showing a great deal of courage.”

She shook her head with an air of doubt, and resumed after a moment of silence: 

“Do you know that you have just spoken to me as if I were what is called a ‘fast’ woman?”

“Oh! madam!”

“Of course, you think that I can never attribute to a man who pays his addresses to me any but improper intentions.  If it were so, I would deserve being called a ‘fast’ woman, and I do not.  I know you don’t believe it, but it is the pure truth, as there is a God—­yes, as there is a God!  God knows me, and I pray to Him much oftener than is thought.  He has kept me from doing harm thus far, and I hope He will keep me from it forever; but it is a thing of which He has not the sole control—­” She stopped for a moment, and then added in a firm tone: 

“You can do much toward it.”

“I, madam?”

“I have allowed you to take, I know not how—­I really do not know how!—­a great influence over my destiny.  Will you be willing to use it?  That is the question.”

“And in what capacity could I do so, pray, madam?” I said slowly and in a tone of cold reserve.