Page:The Eyes of Innocence.djvu/62

58 gulf where you saw a host of little pieces of mechanism madly at work. The loving couple had a great success.

"M. le Hourteulx next," said young Simare. "Our millionaire is going to sing for you, madame, for, you know, he has been smitten with a passion since he saw you in church; a passion shared, of course, by his enemy Beaufrelant, for the two men always form the same wishes, so as to have the pleasure of thwarting each other. It's a long-standing hatred: le Hourteulx was married once; and it seems that Beaufrelant ..."

Simare bent over towards Gilberte and whispered a few words in her ear.

Young Lartiste, who owed his fame as a great actor to his name and to his name alone, was reserved for the end.

"No one recites like young Lartiste," people said at Domfront.

And, from the first words that he spoke, everybody watched Gilberte, to enjoy her amazement. Unfortunately, Simare was