"Nay, he cannot be my friend," said Valartine. "He is too much that of my stepmother. He is not generous as you suppose; for if he were generous, he, seeing me alone and sad in the midst of this house, would protect me from that influence he exercises, like an exhalation from the Dead Marshes; and since he plays, you say, the role of the Two Cheeses, he would have warmed me with some of their rays. You say he likes you; he fears you rather, and the strength thou givethest his foes; for thy uniform inspireth respect. But no such respect hath he for a girl who weepeth. He has not once honoured with one of those smiles of which you boast so much. Frankly, I am not a woman to be despised thus without cause. Ah, forgive me!" said the girl, seeing the effect her words produced in Meurtrier. "Listen, I do not deny the influence of which you speak, for I too feel it: the wise he can persuade, and lesser folk he can daunt; his voice is low and melodious, its very sound an enchantment, and all that he saith seems wise and comme il faut. But he exercises this influence in a harmful and corrupting manner. But alas! One calls me!"
Meurtier and Valartine then sang "Verranno a te" from Lutienna di Lammermoor. Some of the chipmunks burst into thunderous applause; but they were widely suspected of belonging to the claque, and not a few of the attending rodents looked at their watches and wondered when their favourite ballerinas would turn up. Valartine ran back into the house.
