Louis de Clameran relied upon making his rival, Prosper Bertomy, furnish him this ardently desired opportunity.

He loved Madeleine too passionately to feel aught save the bitterest hate toward the man whom she had freely chosen, and who still possessed her heart.

Clameran knew that he could marry her at once if he chose; but in what way?  By holding a sword of terror over her head, and forcing her to be his.  He became frenzied at the idea of possessing her person, while her heart and soul would always be with Prosper.

Thus he swore that, before marrying, he would so cover Prosper with shame and ignominy that no honest person would speak to him.  He had first thought of killing him, but, fearing that Madeleine would enshrine and worship his memory, he determined to disgrace him.

He imagined that there would be no difficulty in ruining the unfortunate young man.  He soon found himself mistaken.

Though Prosper led a life of reckless dissipation, he preserved order in his disorder.  If in a state of miserable entanglement, and obliged to resort to all sorts of make-shifts to escape his creditors, his caution prevented the world from knowing it.

Vainly did Raoul, with his pockets full of gold, try to tempt him to play high; every effort to hasten his ruin failed.

When he played he did not seem to care whether he lost or won; nothing aroused him from his cold indifference.

His friend Nina Gypsy was extravagant, but her devotion to Prosper restrained her from going beyond certain limits.

Raoul’s great intimacy with Prosper enabled him to fully understand the state of his mind; that he was trying to drown his disappointment in excitement, but had not given up all hope.

“You need not hope to beguile Prosper into committing any piece of folly,” said Raoul to his uncle; “his head is as cool as a usurer’s.  He never goes beyond a certain degree of dissipation.  What object he has in view I know not.  Perhaps, when he has spent his last napoleon, he will blow his brains out; he certainly never will descend to any dishonorable act.  As to tampering with the money-safe intrusted to his keeping——­”

“We must force him on,” replied Clameran, “lead him into extravagances, make Gypsy call on him for costly finery, lend him plenty of money.”

Raoul shook his head, as if convinced that his efforts would be vain.

“You don’t know Prosper, uncle:  we can’t galvanize a dead man.  Madeleine killed him the day she discarded him.  He takes no interest in anything on the face of the earth.”

“We can wait and see.”

They did wait; and, to the great surprise of Mme. Fauvel, Raoul once more became an affectionate and dutiful son, as he had been during Clameran’s absence.  From reckless extravagance he changed to great economy.  Under pretext of saving money, he remained at Vesinet, although it was very uncomfortable and disagreeable there in the winter.  He said he wished to expiate his sins in solitude.  The truth was, that, by remaining in the country, he insured his liberty, and escaped his mother’s visits.