g—aprettysighthewas,ajustmediumbetweenthefoolandthelunatic.
“Come,M.Pelet,”saidI,“youhadbettergotobed,”andItookholdofhisarm.Hisexcitement,ofcourse,increasedgreatlyatsightandtouchoftheindividualforwhosebloodhehadbeenmakingapplication:hestruggledandstruckwithfury—butadrunkenmanisnomatchforasoberoneand,eveninhisnormalstate,Pelet’swornoutframecouldnothavestoodagainstmysoundone.Igothimup-stairs,and,inprocessoftime,tobed.Duringtheoperationhedidnotfailtouttercomminationswhich,thoughbroken,hadasenseinthemwhilestigmatizingmeasthetreacherousspawnofaperfidiouscountry,he,inthesamebreath,anathematizedZoraideReuterhetermedher“femmesotteetvicieuse,”who,inafitoflewdcaprice,hadthrownherselfawayonanunprincipledadventurerdirectingthepointofthelastappellationbyafuriousblow,obliquelyaimedatme.IlefthimintheactofboundingelasticallyoutofthebedintowhichIhadtuckedhimbut,asItooktheprecautionofturningthekeyinthedoorbehindme,Iretiredtomyownroom,assuredofhissafecustodytillthemorning,andfreetodrawundisturbedconclusionsfromthesceneIhadjustwitnessed.
Now,itwaspreciselyaboutthistimethatthedirectress,stungbymycoldness,bewitchedbymyscorn,andexcitedbythepreferenceshesuspectedmeofcherishingforanother,hadfallenintoasnareofherownlaying—washerselfcaughtinthemeshesoftheverypassionwithwhichshewishedtoentangleme.Consciousofthestateofthingsinthatquarter,Igathered,fromtheconditioninwhichIsawmyemployer,thathislady-lovehadbetrayedthealienationofheraffections—inclinations,rather,Iwouldsayaffectionisawordatoncetoowarmandtoopureforthesubject—hadlethimseethatthecavityofherhollowheart,emptiedofhisimage,wasnowoccupiedbythatofhisusher.ItwasnotwithoutsomesurprisethatIfoundmyselfobligedtoentertainthisviewofthecasePelet,withhisold-establishedschool,wassoconvenient,soprofitableamatch—Zoraidewassocalculating,sointerestedawoman—Iwonderedmerepersonalpreferencecould,inhermind,haveprevailedforamomentoverworldlyadvantage:yet,itwasevident,fromwhatPeletsaid,that,notonlyhadsherepulsedhim,buthadevenletslip