“The force of my will.”

“You have plenty of that!  But suppose, by some impossible chance, your ideal resists you even then?”

“Then I know what will remain for me to do.”

“You will resort to the pistol?”

“Not for him, but for myself,” she replied, in a tone so resolute as to exclude any suggestion of bravado.

Zibeline’s horse, which was a rapid trotter, now stopped before the Hotel de Montgeron, arriving just in advance of the Duchess’s carriage, for which the Swiss was watching at the threshold of the open Porte cochere.  He drew himself up; the brougham entered the gate at a swift pace, described a circle, and halted under the marquee at the main entrance.  The General sprang lightly to the ground.

“I thank you, Mademoiselle,” bowing, hat in hand, to his charming conductor.

“Call me Valentine, please,” she responded, with her usual ease of manner.

“Even in the character of a stage father, that would be rather too familiar,” said the Marquis.

“Not so much so as to call me Zibeline,” said Mademoiselle de Vermont, laughing.

“Ha! ha!  You know your sobriquet, then?”

“I have known it a long time!  Good-night, General!  We shall meet again.”

Then, addressing her footman, she said in English:  “Home!”

CHAPTER XVI

FRATERNAL ADVICE

Like all residences where the owners receive much company, the Hotel de Montgeron had a double porte-cochere.  Just as the Swiss opened the outer gate to allow the departure of Mademoiselle de Vermont, the two carriages crossed each other on the threshold.  In fact, Henri had had hardly time to cross the courtyard to mount to his own apartments before his brother-in-law and his sister stopped him at the foot of the steps.  He rejoined them to say good-night.

“Won’t you come and take a cup of tea with us in the little salon?” they asked.

“Willingly,” was his response.  He followed them, and all three seated themselves beside a table which was already laid, and upon which the boiling water sang in the kettle.

“Leave us,” said the Duchess to the butler.  “I will serve tea myself.  Did Mademoiselle de Vermont bring you home?” she asked, when the servant had retired.

“Well,” said Henri, “in proposing to do so she mentioned my discreet age, which appeared to her to make the thing all right!  If I had declined her invitation, I should have seemed to pose as a compromising person!  That is the reason why I accepted.”

“You did quite right.  What do you really think of her?”

“She is very different from what I had fancied her:  I find her frank, intellectual, full of originality.  I have only one fault to mention:  she is too rich.”

“Well, surely, you do not expect her to ruin herself to please you.”

“I should think not!  Besides, what would be the object?”