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THE CONFESSION OF A FOOL 189
make a career, and provision for you when you have spent
your own money, not to mention the fact that your
interests are identical with his?
"
She yielded, and the loan of three thousand five hundred
francs, or thereabouts, in doubtful shares, was granted.
From this day onward she looked upon herself as my
patroness, and told everybody who cared to listen that
she had safeguarded my career by sacrificing her dowry.
The fact of my being a well-known writer before I had
ever set eyes on her was quite lost sight of. But it was
bliss to me to look up to her, to be indebted to her for
everything : my life, my future, my happiness.
In our marriage contract I had insisted on settling all
her property on herself, partly because her financial
affairs were chaos. The Baron owed her money ; but
instead of paying her in cash, he had guaranteed a loan
which she had raised. In spite of all my precautions I
was requested by the bank on the morning after our
wedding to guarantee the sum. My objections were so
much waste of breath ; the bank did not look upon my
wife as responsible, since by her second marriage she had
again legally become a minor. ’J^o my great indignation
I was compelled to sign the guarantee, to put my
signature by the side of that of the Baron.
In my perfect simplicity I had no idea of what I was
doing. It merely seemed to me that what every man of
the world would have done in my place, was the right
thing to do.
One evening, while I was closeted in my room with a
friend, the Baron called. It was his first call since our
wedding. My predecessor’s visit seemed to me in bad
taste, to say the least of it ; but since he did not mind
meeting me, I pretended to be pleased to see him. When
I accompanied my friend to the door, however, I did not
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