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160 THE CONFESSION OF A FOOL
might have felt disappeared as soon as I got used to the
state of things, and I never quite lost the old illusion that
they were husband and wife. But one evening Marie
came to see me alone. On helping her to remove her
cloak I noticed that her dress was somewhat deranged.
It roused my suspicions. She sat doAvn on the sofa opposite
the looking-glass, talking volubly all the time. Her con-
versation struck me as forced, she cast furtive glances at
her reflection and stealthily tried to smooth her hair.
A horrible thought flashed into my mind. Unable to
control my agitation, I exclaimed
—
" Wliere have you been ?
"
’’With Gustav."
" What did you do there? "
She started, but quickly suppressing her emotion, she
replied
—
"I was studying my part."
’’It’s a lie! " ’
She made an angry exclamation ; she accused me of
being absurdly jealous, deluged me with explanations. I
wavered, and as we were invited out that evening I had
to postpone all further investigation.
Thinking of tliis incident to-day, I would swear a
solemn oath that she committed bigamy in those days,
to sa}’ the least of it. But at that time I was completely
deceived by her trickery. What had happened ? . . .
Probably this
—
She had dined alone with the Baron ; they had had
coffee and liqueurs ; she was seized with that after-dinner
lassitude ; the Baron advised her to lie down on tlie sofa
and rest awhile, a proposal which did not displease her
. . . and the rest followed as a matter of course. Soli-
tude, complete confidence, old memories, increased
temptation, and the lonely man succumbed. Why deny
themselves, as long as no one knew ? She was her own
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