Then, saying that he must have distractions, he received
all his friends, and when no one called, he sent for some
acquaintance to come and chat with him in order to forget his
illness. He gave no hint of what he was doing and thinking, and
Bertha was devoured by anxiety. She often watched for her husband's
agent, when, after a conference of several hours, he came out of
his room; and making herself as sweet and fascinating as possible,
she used all her cunning to find out something which would
enlighten her as to what he was about. But no one could, or at
least would, satisfy her curiosity; all gave evasive replies, as
if Sauvresy had cautioned them, or as if there were nothing to tell.
No complaints were heard from Sauvresy. He talked constantly of
Bertha and Hector; he wished all the world to know their devotion
to him; he called them his "guardian angels," and blessed Heaven
that had given him such a wife and such a friend. Sauvresy's
illness now became so serious that Tremorel began to despair; he
became alarmed; what position would his friend's death leave him
in? Bertha, having become a widow, would be implacable.
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