"Still, should you desire by any chance to change this wish; if you will profit by the events which this meeting of the prince and Bertha at your house must still further precipitate, unless you oppose it, when you see me rising to go out and await M. de Brévannes, give me this pin, telling me to put it up--I shall understand that M. de Brévannes is to remain in his error."
"Here is the prince. Give me this pin presently, and within a week you are free: otherwise, renounce M. de Morville for ever."
M. de Hansfeld entered his wife's apartment at this moment.
Iris was in the habit of remaining with her mistress, even when she received visits. Her presence at the following scene appeared therefore perfectly natural to the prince.
M. de Hansfeld was surprised, agitated, and excited.
He had seen Bertha alight from a carriage with De Brévannes,--Bertha, to whom he had, as he believed, said adieu for ever at their last interview at Pierre Raimond's.
Never having known that Paula was acquainted with De Brévannes, Arnold could not conceive why he had brought his wife to the Hôtel Lambert, and how Madame de Hansfeld had formed an intimacy with Bertha, of whom she knew he was enamoured. Had not Paula, in order to escape the journey to Germany which her husband had threatened, in her turn menaced him with disclosing to M. de Brévannes the interviews he had had with Bertha at the engraver's?
What, then, was Paula's motive in receiving Bertha at the Hôtel Lambert? was it affectation or indifference?
Arnold was bewildered in conjecture, and when he reflected that he was about to see Bertha once more, astonishment, delight, and fear, agitated him in spite of himself, and he said to Paula in a voice which shook with emotion,--
"I think I have just seen some visitors arrive for you?"
"Yes," replied Madame de Hansfeld, who was also considerably embarrassed, "one of my friends has introduced me in society to Madame de Brévannes, who is, they say, so charming, and whom you find so!" she added, with a forced laugh, "Madame de Brévannes asked me what day I should be at home, I told her to-day, and then forgot it. She is waiting now with her husband. Not having seen you, it was impossible for me to tell you of this expected visit, which I should suppose, however, is by no means disagreeable to you."