"But if it lead to an abyss?"

"You must be swallowed up!"

"Do you think so?"

"Yes!"

"I do not: and in your place--"

"What would you have done?"

"Enough, certainly, to have learned her name and--"

"Anne, you don't know her."

"No, but I know you, Henri. You had 50,000 crowns that I gave you out of
the last 100,000 the king gave to me."

"They are still in my chest, Anne; I have not touched one of them."

"Mordieu! If they were not there, you would be in a different position."

"Oh! my brother!"

"Certainly. An ordinary servant may be bought for ten crowns, a good
one for 100, an excellent one for 1,000, and a marvel for 3,000. Let us
see, then. Suppose this man to be the phoenix of all servants--the beau
ideal of fidelity, yet, by the pope! for 20,000 crowns you will buy him.
There would then remain 30,000 crowns for the phoenix of women, and all