The People, madame, will
take no denial. It is a game I have played before--a dangerous game, but
I am not afraid."
"You need not trouble to be theatrical with me," put in Etta scornfully.
She was sitting with a patch of color in either cheek. At times this man
had the power of moving her, and she was afraid of allowing him to
exercise it. She knew her own weakness--her inordinate vanity; for
vanity is the weakness of strong women. She was ever open to flattery,
and Claude de Chauxville flattered her in every word he spoke; for by
act and speech he made it manifest that she was the motive power of his
existence.
"A man who plays for a high stake," went on the Frenchman, in a quieter
voice, "must be content to throw his all on the table time after time. A
week to-night--Thursday, the 5th of April--I will throw down my all on
the turn of a card. For the People are like that. It is rouge or
noir--one never knows. We only know that there is no third color, no
compromise."
Etta was listening now with ill-disguised interest. At last he had given
her something definite--a date.
"On Thursday," he went on, "the peasants will make a demonstration. You
know as well as I do--as well as Prince Pavlo does, despite his
imperturbable face--that the whole country is a volcano which may break
forth at any moment.
Pages:
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342