"I am now going to see if we cannot repair some of the harm that has been done." "How ?" asked the old man, with all the suspicion that had recently come into his character.
"I am going to look for Miste." He shook his head.
"Very quixotic, but quite useless," said he; and then set himself to dissuade me from my quest with every argument that he could bring to bear upon me.

Some of these, indeed, I thought he might well have omitted.
"We cannot spare you at this time, when the political world is so disturbed, and internal affairs are on the brink of catastrophe.

We cannot spare you, I, the Vicomtesse--Lucille.

It was only last night that she was rejoicing at your presence with us in our time of trouble.

I shall tell her that you wish to leave us, and she will, I am sure, dissuade you." Which threat he carried out, as will be recorded later.