Page:Novels of Honoré de Balzac Volume 23.djvu/361

 Paris in two years. And then, not that you know that yet, all men are alike, my child! and, without conceit, my Désiré is as good as a king’s son.”

“You forget, madame, your son’s danger at this present moment, which can only be averted by Monsieur de Portenduère’s desire to please me. This peril would be irretrievable if he learned that you were making dishonorable proposals to me.—You must know, madame, that I should be happier with the moderate fortune to which you allude than with the wealth with which you want to dazzle me. For some reason yet unknown, but that will be known, madame, Monsieur Minoret has, by his odious persecutions of me, published the affection which binds me to Monsieur de Portenduère and which may be confessed, for there is no doubt that his mother will bless it; so I must tell you that this affection, permissible and lawful, is my whole life. No destiny, however brilliant, however exalted it might be, could make me change. I love absolutely and unalterably. So it would be a crime for which I should be punished to marry a man to whom I should bring a heart wholly given to Savinien. Now, madame, since you force me to it I will say even more: did I not love Monsieur de Portenduère at all, I should not even then be able to resolve on bearing the sorrows and joys of life in the company of your son. If Monsieur Savinien has had debts, you have often paid Monsieur Désiré’s. Our characters are neither sufficiently alike nor dissimilar to