Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - Part IV - III
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THE CONFESSION OF A FOOL 2G3
When Marie entered my room, I received her in the
most friendly manner.
" What is the matter? " she asked.
"A very serious thing which concerns us both! " I
told her the story of the play, and added that the actor
who played the part of the photographer had made up
to resemble me.
She reflected, silently, a prey to very evident excitement.
Then I suggested the defence.
’•
If it is true, tell me ; I shall forgive you. If the little
one who died was indeed Gustav’s baby, well—you were
free at the time ; vague promises only bound you to me,
and you had never accepted any money from me. As for
the hero of the play, he behaved, in my opinion, like a
man of heart ; he was incapable of ruining the future
prospects of his wife and daughter. The money which
he accepted on behalf of the child was nothing but
a c^uite legitimate compensation for an injury done to
him."
She listened with great attention ; her small soul nibbled
at the bait without, however, swallowing it.
To judge from the calm which smoothed her conscience-
stricken features, my assertion that she had a right to
dispose of her body because she had never taken money
from me pleased her. She agreed that the deceived
husband was a man of heart. "A noble heart," she
maintained.
The scene ended without my succeeding to draw a
confession from her. I showed her the way out of the
difficulty ; I appealed to her for advice as to the best means
of repairing our honour ; suggested that we should publish
our "defence" in the shape of a novel, and so cleanse
ourselves before the world and our children from all those
infamies. . . .
I talked for an hour. She sat at my writing-table,
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