When I hinted something against Hector
to Laurence, she almost ceased coming to see me."
"Ah! I shouldn't have had either your patience or your generosity."
"Because you are not as old as I, Monsieur Lecoq. Oh, I cruelly
hated this Tremorel! I said to myself, when I saw three women of
such different characters smitten with him, 'what is there in him
to be so loved?'"
"Yes," answered M. Lecoq, responding to a secret thought, "women
often err; they don't judge men as we do."
"Many a time," resumed the justice of the peace, "I thought of
provoking him to fight with me, that I might kill him; but then
Laurence would not have looked at me any more. However, I should
perhaps have spoken at last, had not Sauvresy fallen ill and died.
I knew that he had made his wife and Tremorel swear to marry each
other; I knew that a terrible reason forced them to keep their
oath; and I thought Laurence saved. Alas, on the contrary she was
lost! One evening, as I was passing the mayor's house, I saw a
man getting over the wall into the garden; it was Tremorel. I
recognized him perfectly. I was beside myself with rage, and swore
that I would wait and murder him.
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