Her beauty was not, then,
irresistible, as she had often been told. He was gallant and
courteous to her--nothing more.
"If he loved me," thought she, "he would tell me so, for he is
bold with women and fears no one."
Then she began to hate the girl, her rival, whom Hector went to
meet at Corbeil every week. She wished to see her, to know her.
Who could she be? Was she handsome? Hector had been very reticent
about Jenny. He evaded all questions about her, not sorry to let
Bertha's imagination work on his mysterious visits.
The day at last came when she could no longer resist the intensity
of her curiosity. She put on the simplest of her toilets, in black,
threw a thick veil over her head, and hastened to the Corbeil station
at the hour that she thought the unknown girl would present herself
there. She took a seat on a bench in the rear of the waiting-room.
She had not long to wait. She soon perceived the count and a young
girl coming along the avenue, which she could see from where she sat.
They were arm in arm, and seemed to be in a very happy mood. They
passed within a few steps of her, and as they walked very slowly,
she was able to scrutinize Jenny at her ease.
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