"Be quite easy," said she to Valerie, "they will call on you, and you
will call on them. Simply hearing the words _two hundred thousand
francs_ has brought the Baroness to death's door. Oh, you have them
all hard and fast by that tale!--But you must tell it to me."
Within a month of her marriage, Valerie was at her tenth quarrel with
Steinbock; he insisted on explanations as to Henri Montes, reminding
her of the words spoken in their paradise; and, not content with
speaking to her in terms of scorn, he watched her so closely that she
never had a moment of liberty, so much was she fettered by his
jealousy on one side and Crevel's devotion on the other.
Bereft now of Lisbeth, whose advice had always been so valuable she
flew into such a rage as to reproach Wenceslas for the money she had
lent him. This so effectually roused Steinbock's pride, that he came
no more to the Crevels' house. So Valerie had gained her point, which
was to be rid of him for a time, and enjoy some freedom. She waited
till Crevel should make a little journey into the country to see Comte
Popinot, with a view to arranging for her introduction to the
Countess, and was then able to make an appointment to meet the Baron,
whom she wanted to have at her command for a whole day to give him
those "reasons" which were to make him love her more than ever.
On the morning of that day, Reine, who estimated the magnitude of her
crime by that of the bribe she received, tried to warn her mistress,
in whom she naturally took more interest than in strangers.
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