ThePresidentelefttheroom。Fraisiersawhimselfajusticeofthepeace。Hefelttransformedatthethought;hegrewstouter;hislungswerefilledwiththebreathofsuccess,thebreezeofprosperity。Hedippedintothemysteriousreservoirsofvolitionforfreshandstrongdosesofthedivineessence。Toreachsuccess,hefelt,asRemonencqhalffelt,thathewasreadyforanything,forcrimeitself,providedthatnoproofsofitremained。HehadfacedthePresidenteboldly;hehadtransmutedconjectureintoreality;hehadmadeassertionsrightandleft,alltotheendthatshemightauthorizehimtoprotectherinterestsandwinherinfluence。Ashestoodthere,herepresentedtheinfinitemiseryoftwolives,andthenolessboundlessdesiresoftwomen。HespurnedthesqualidhorrorsoftheRuedelaPerle。HesawtheglitterofathousandcrownsinfeesfromLaCibot,andfivethousandfrancsfromthePresidente。Thismeantanabodesuchasbefittedhisfutureprospects。Finally,hewasrepayingDr。Poulain。
Therearehard,ill-naturedbeings,goadedbydistressordiseaseintoactivemalignity,thatyetentertaindiametricallyopposedsentimentswithalikedegreeofvehemence。IfRichelieuwasagoodhater,hewasnolessagoodfriend。Fraisier,inhisgratitude,wouldhavelethimselfbecutintwoforPoulain。
Soabsorbedwasheinthesevisionsofacomfortableandprosperouslife,thathedidnotseethePresidentecomeinwiththeletterinherhand,andshe,lookingathim,thoughthimlessuglynowthanatfirst。Hewasabouttobeusefultoher,andassoonasatoolbelongstouswelookuponitwithothereyes。
“M。Fraisier,“saidshe,“youhaveconvincedmeofyourintelligence,andIthinkthatyoucanspeakfrankly。“
Fraisierrepliedbyaneloquentgesture。