I was confident that a reply would be delivered.Accordingly，I was determined not to go out all that day.
Around two o'clock，there was a ring at the door and Prudence was shown in.
I tried to appear unconcerned as I asked her to what I owed her visit.But that day Madame Duvernoy was in no mood for laughter and，sounding terribly upset，she pointed out that since my return，that is for the last three weeks or so，I had not missed an opportunity to hurt Marguerite.It was making her ill.The scene the night before，and the letter I'd sent that morning，had forced her to take to her bed.
And so，without framing a single reproach，Marguerite had sent to ask for mercy，informing me that she no longer had either the emotional nor physical strength to endure what I was doing to her.
'If Mademoiselle Gautier，'I told Prudence，'wishes to close her door to me，then she is perfectly entitled to do so.But that she should insult a woman I love on the ground that the woman is my mistress，is something which I shall never tolerate.'
'My dear，'said Prudence，'you're being ruled by the influence of a heartless，thoughtless，common girl.You love her，it's true，but that's no reason for tormenting a woman who can't defend herself.'
'Let Mademoiselle Gautier send her Count de N to me and the game will be even.'
'You know very well she'll never do that.So let her be，dear Armand.If you saw her，you'd be ashamed of the way you're behaving towards her.She's got no colour，and she's coughing.She's not long for this world now.'
Prudence held out her hand to me and added：
'Come and see her.A visit from you will make her very happy.'
'I have no wish to meet Monsieur de N.'
'Monsieur de N is never there.She can't stand him.'
'If Marguerite really wants to see me，she knows where I live.She can come here.But I shall never set foot in the rue d'Antin.'
'And you'd be nice to her？'
'I'd behave perfectly.'
'Well，I'm sure she'll come.'
'Let her.'
'Are you going out today？'
'I shall be home all evening.'
'I'll go and tell her.'
Prudence left.
I did not even bother to write and let Olympe know that I should not be going to see her.I behaved pretty much as I liked towards her.I hardly spent one night a week with her now.She found consolation with，I believe，an actor from one or other of the Boulevard theatres.
I went out for dinner and came back almost immediately.I had fires lit in every room and told Joseph he would not be needed.
I could not give you any sort of account of the various thoughts which troubled my mind during the hour I waited.But when I heard the doorbell，at around nine o'clock，they all came together in one emotion so powerful that，as I went to open the door，I was obliged to lean against the wall to prevent myself falling.
Fortunately，the hallway was only half-lit，so that the change in my features was less noticeable.
Marguerite came in.
She was dressed entirely in black and wore a veil.I could only just make out her face beneath the lace.
She walked on into the drawing-room and lifted her veil.
She was as pale as marble.
'Here I am，Armand，'she said.'You wanted to see me.I came.'
And，lowering her head which she took in both hands，she burst into tears.
I went up to her.
'What is it？'I said falteringly.
She pressed my hand without replying，for the tears still dimmed her voice.But a few moments later，having regained something of her composure，she said：
'You have hurt me a great deal，Armand，and I never did anything to you.'
'Never did anything？'I replied，with a bitter smile.
'Nothing，except what circumstances forced me to do to you.'
I do not know if you have ever experienced in your life，or ever will，what I went through as I looked at Marguerite.
The last time she had come to my apartment，she had sat in the same chair where she was now sitting.But since those days，she had been another man's mistress；other kisses than mine had brushed those lips towards which my own were now involuntarily drawn.And yet I felt that I loved her no less，and perhaps even more，than I had ever loved her.
However，it was difficult for me to broach the subject which had brought her.Most likely Marguerite understood this，for she went on：
'My coming here will be tiresome for you，Armand，for I have two requests to make：your forgiveness for what I said to Mademoiselle Olympe yesterday，and your mercy for what you may still be thinking of doing to me.Whether you wanted to or not，you have hurt me so much since your return that I should not now be able to stand a quarter of the emotions which I have borne up to this morning.You will have pity on me，won't you？And you will remember that there are nobler things for a good man to do than to take his revenge against a woman as ill and as wretched as I am.Come.Take my hand.I am feverish：I left my bed to come here to ask，not for your friendship，but for your indifference.'
As she asked，I took Marguerite's hand.It was hot，and the poor woman was shivering beneath her velvet cloak.
I rolled the armchair in which she was sitting nearer the fire.
'Do you imagine that I didn't suffer，'I resumed，'that night when，after waiting for you in the country，I came looking for you in Paris where all I found was that letter which almost drove me out of my mind？'
'How could you have deceived me，Marguerite？I loved you so much！'
'Let's not speak of that，Armand，I did not come here to speak of that.I wanted to see you other than as an enemy，that's all，and I wanted to hold your hand once more.You have a young，pretty mistress whom you love，so they say be happy with her and forget me.'
'And what of you？I suppose you're happy？'
'Have I the face of a happy woman，Armand？Don't mock my sorrows，for you should know their cause and extent better than anyone.'
'It was entirely up to you never to be unhappy，if，that is，you are as unhappy as you say.'
'No，my friend，circumstances were too strong for my will.I did not follow my immoral instincts as you seem to be saying，but obeyed a solemn injunction and yielded to arguments which，when some day you know what they were，will make you forgive me.'
