I had heard this for myself one day when Prudence told Marguerite that she had something very important to say to her，and I had listened at the door of the bedroom in which they had closeted themselves.
Some days later，Prudence came down to see us again.
I was at the bottom of the garden when she arrived.She did not see me.Judging by the way Marguerite had gone to meet her，I suspected that another conversation like the one I had already overheard was about to take place，and I was no less anxious to hear what was said.
The two women shut themselves in a parlour and I took up my position.
'Well？'asked Marguerite.
'Well now，I saw the Duke.'
'What did he say？'
'He said he was quite ready to forgive that first scene，but he'd found out that you were living openly with Monsieur Armand Duval.He couldn't forgive that.''If Marguerite leaves this young man，'he told me，'I'll give her anything she wants，as in the past.If she doesn't，she can stop asking me for anything.'
'What did you say to that？'
'I said I'd pass on his decision，and I promised I'd make you see sense.Just think，dear girl，of the niche you'll be losing.Armand will never be able to make it up to you.He loves you with all his soul，but he doesn't have the money to pay for everything you need，and some day he's bound to leave you-when it'll be too late，and the Duke won't want to lend any more helping hands.Do you want me to speak to Armand？'
Marguerite seemed to be thinking，for she did not reply.My heart beat violently as I waited for her answer.
'No，'she resumed，'I shall not leave Armand，and I shan't hide myself away so that I can go on living with him.Madness it may be，but I love him，there it is！And anyway，he's got into the habit of loving me without anything standing in his way.It would be much too painful for him to have to leave me for even an hour a day.Besides，I haven't got so much time to live that I can afford to make myself miserable just to please an old man：the very sight of him makes me feel old.Let him keep his money.I'll manage without.'
'But what will you do？'
'I have no idea.'
Prudence was probably about to reply to this，but I burst in，ran across to Marguerite and threw myself at her feet，covering her hands with the tears which the joy of being loved made me shed.
'My life is yours，Marguerite，You don't need this man：am I not here？How could I ever desert you？How could I ever repay the happiness you give me？Away with all constraints，dearest Marguerite！We love each other！What does the rest matter？'
'Oh yes！I do love you，my Armand！'she murmured，circling my neck with both arms，'I love you as I never believed I could love anybody.We will be happy，we'll live in peace，and I'll say goodbye forever to the old life I'm so ashamed of now.You'll never hold my past against me，will you？'
The tears dimmed my voice.The only answer I could give was to clasp Marguerite to my heart.
'Come，'she said，turning to Prudence，her voice tinged with emotion，'you can go and report this scene to the Duke and，while you're at it，tell him we don't need him.'
