"He would not deny the fact if you asked him." "I will certainly go to the ball," said the countess.
"You will be very much amused," replied Vandenesse.

"With such weapons in hand you can cut Nathan's complacency to the quick, and you will also do him a great service.

You will put him in a fury; he'll try to be calm, though inwardly fuming; but, all the same, you will enlighten a man of talent as to the peril in which he really stands; and you will also have the satisfaction of laming the horses of the 'juste-milieu' in their stalls--But you are not listening to me, my dear." "On the contrary, I am listening intently," she said.

"I will tell you later why I feel desirous to know the truth of all this." "You shall know it," said Vandenesse.

"If you stay masked I will take you to supper with Nathan and Florine; it would be rather amusing for a woman of your rank to fool an actress after bewildering the wits of a clever man about these important facts; you can harness them both to the same hoax.