“I am going to tell you how we shall manage,” said the mistress. “Foreseeing my daughter’s marriage, I have had my house divided into two distinct establishments. They say that life in common with a mother-in-law is objectionable to a son-in-law, therefore I wish you to have a home of your own. I know that an old face like mine frightens young lovers. I will come to you when you invite me. But even when I am shut up in my own apartments I shall be with my daughter; I shall breathe the same air; I shall hear her going and coming, singing, laughing, and I shall say to myself, ‘It is all right, she is happy.’ That is all I ask. A little corner, whence I can share her life.”
“Don’t be afraid; your daughter will not leave you.”
Madame Desvarennes, unable to contain her feelings, opened her arms, and Serge fell on her breast, like a true son.
“Do you know, I am going to adore you!” cried Madame Desvarennes, showing Panine a face beaming with happiness.
“What a strange thing life is!” resumed she. “I did not want you for a son-in-law, and now you are behaving so well toward me that I am full of remorse. Oh, I see now what a dangerous man you are, if you captivate other women’s hearts as you have caught mine.”
She looked at the Prince fixedly, and added, in her clear commanding voice, with a shade of gayety:
“Now, I hope you will reserve all your powers of charming for my daughter. No more flirting, eh? She loves you; she would be jealous, and you would get into hot water with me! Let Micheline’s life be happy, without a cloud-blue, always blue sky!”
“That will be easy,” said Serge. “To be unhappy I should have to seek misfortune; and I certainly shall not do that.”
“Besides, your good friends who criticised so when you gave me Micheline’s hand would be only too pleased. I will not give them the pleasure of posing as prophets and saying, ‘We knew it would be so!’”
“You must forgive them,” replied Madame Desvarennes. “You have made enemies. Without speaking of projects which I had formed, I may say that my daughter has had offers from the best folks in Paris; from first-rate firms! Our circle was rather indignant.
“People said: ‘Oh, Madame Desvarennes wanted her daughter to be a Princess. We shall see how it will turn out. Her son-in-law will spend her money and spurn her.’ The gossip of disappointed people. Give them the lie; manage that we shall all live together, and we shall be right against the world.”