head and asked: 'What, are you here? Why are you not dining at my house? Where have you come from?'
Georges replied with emphasis: 'I have just found out something about the minister of foreign affairs.'
'What?'
'I found him alone with my wife in hired apartments. The commissioner of police was my witness. The minister is ruined.'
'Are you not jesting?'
'No, I am not. I shall even write an article on it.'
'What is your object?'
'To overthrow that wretch, that public malefactor.'
Georges placed his hat upon a chair and added: 'Woe to those whom I find in my path. I never pardon.'
The manager stammered: 'But your wife?'
'I shall apply for a divorce at once.'
'A divorce?'
'Yes, I am master of the situation. I shall be free. I have a stated income. I shall offer myself as a candidate in October in my native district, where I am known. I could not win any respect were I to be hampered with a wife whose honor was sullied. She took me for a simpleton, but since I have known her game, I have watched her, and now I shall get on, for I shall be free.'
Georges rose.
'I will write the item; it must be handled prudently.'
The old man hesitated, then said: 'Do so: it serves those right who are caught in such scrapes.'
CHAPTER XVII.
THE FINAL PLOT
Three months had elapsed. Georges du Roy's divorce had been obtained. His wife had resumed the name of Forestier.
As the Walters were going to Trouville on the fifteenth of July, they decided to spend a day in the country before starting.
The day chosen was Thursday, and they set out at nine o'clock in the morning in a large six-seated carriage drawn by four horses. They were going to lunch at Saint-Germain. Bel-Ami had requested that he might be the only young man in the party, for he could not bear the presence of the Marquis de Cazolles. At the last moment, however, it was decided that Count de Latour-Ivelin should go, for he and Rose had been betrothed a month. The day was delightful. Georges, who was very pale, gazed at Suzanne as they sat in the carriage and their eyes met.
Mme. Walter was contented and happy. The luncheon was a long and merry one. Before leaving for Paris, Du Roy proposed a walk on the terrace. They stopped on the way to admire the view; as they passed on, Georges and Suzanne lingered behind. The former whispered softly: 'Suzanne, I love you madly.'
She whispered in return: 'I love you too, Bel-Ami.'
He continued: 'If I cannot have you for my wife, I shall leave the country.'
She replied: 'Ask papa. Perhaps he will consent.'
He answered impatiently: 'No, I repeat that it is useless; the door of the house would be closed against me. I would lose my position on the journal, and we would not even meet. Those are the consequences a formal proposal would produce. They have promised you to the Marquis de Cazolles; they hope you will finally say 'yes' and they are waiting.'
'What can we do?'
'Have you the courage to brave your father and mother for my sake?'
'Yes.'
'Truly?'
'Yes.'
'Well! There is only one way. It must come from you and not from me. You are an indulged child; they let you say anything and are not surprised at any audacity on your part. Listen, then! This evening on returning home, go to your mother first, and tell her that you want to marry me. She will be very much agitated and very angry.'
Suzanne interrupted him: 'Oh, mamma would be glad.'
He replied quickly: 'No, no, you do not know her. She will be more vexed than your father. But you must insist, you must not yield; you must repeat that you will marry me and me alone. Will you do so?'
'I will.'
'And on leaving your mother, repeat the same thing to your father very decidedly.'
'Well, and then--'
'And then matters will reach a climax! If you are determined to be my wife, my dear, dear, little Suzanne, I will elope with you.'
She clapped her hands, as all the charming adventures in the romances she had read occurred to her, and cried:
'Oh, what bliss! When will you elope with me?'
He whispered very low: 'To-night!'
'Where shall we go?'
'That is my secret. Think well of what you are doing. Remember that after that flight you must become my wife. It is the only means, but it is dangerous--very dangerous--for you.'
'I have decided. Where shall I meet you?'
'Meet me about midnight in the Place de la Concorde.'
'I will be there.'
He clasped her hand. 'Oh, how I love you! How brave and good you are! Then you do not want to marry Marquis de Cazolles?'
'Oh, no!'
Mme. Walter, turning her head, called out: 'Come, little one; what are you and Bel-Ami doing?'
They rejoined the others and returned by way of Chatou. When the carriage arrived at the door of the mansion, Mme. Walter pressed Georges to dine with them, but he refused, and returned home to look over his papers and destroy any compromising letters. Then he repaired in a cab with feverish haste to the place of meeting. He waited there some time, and thinking his ladylove had played him false, he was about to drive off, when a gentle voice whispered at the door of his cab: 'Are you there, Bel-Ami?'
'Is it you, Suzanne?'
'Yes.'
'Ah, get in.' She entered the cab and he bade the cabman drive on.
He asked: 'Well, how did it all pass off?'
She murmured faintly:
'Oh, it was terrible, with mamma especially.'
'Your mamma? What did she say? Tell me!'
'Oh, it was frightful! I entered her room and made the little speech I had prepared. She turned pale and cried: 'Never!' I wept, I protested that I would marry only you; she was like a mad woman; she vowed I should be sent to a convent. I never saw her like that, never. Papa, hearing her agitated words, entered. He was not as angry as she was, but he said you were not a suitable match for me. As they had vexed me, I talked louder than they, and papa with a dramatic air bade me leave the room. That decided me to fly with you. And here I am; where shall we go?'
He replied, encircling her waist with his arm: 'It is too late to take the train; this cab will take us to Sevres where we can spend the night, and to-morrow we will leave for La Roche-Guyon. It is a pretty village on the banks of the Seine between Mantes and Bonnieres.'
The cab rolled on. Georges took the young girl's hand and kissed it respectfully. He did not know what to say
