Page:Georges Eekhoud - Escal Vigor, a novel.djvu/222

198 he fed and kept by such a reprobate, for having so long tolerated his vices, because he paid thee liberally!"

"Henry, my beloved! Dost thou really believe that? Oh! How thou would'st blame thyself, how horrified thou would'st be if thou knew'st the truth."

Ah, yes, how unjust he was. The injustice of which he believed himself the victim, made him frenzied, blind, and cruel as fate.

He confounded with the crowd,—the malevolent, conforming mass,—this admirable woman, this magnanimous mistress, at times awkward or lacking in strength, presuming too much on her powers, however heroic, and driven to extremity she also, but drawing from her love fresh means of exalting more and more this god, who banished her from his heaven.

"Yes, I do believe it, truly!" persisted the deluded man; "Thou sparest me, thou'rt careful of me, because thou lead'st here a lady's life, and because thou think'st thyself indispensable to such a prodigal, this spendthrift, who never learned to count. Thou fanciest I cannot do without thee. Thou'rt mistaken. Go away. Leave me to ruin myself in health, goods, and honour. Thou'rt