Booth Tarkington and Harry Leon Wilson

“ It was Nancy's voice in the next room,
With a little gasp of horror, Renée wrenched herself from Victor's embrace.
“She saw us!”
“No, no, no!”
“Ah, we do not know what she saw,” panting with alarm.
“She saw nothing, I tell you. You must control yourself,” he said sharply. “The people for dinner will be here. You must be calm, I say.”
Again Nancy's voice was heard, close to the open portières which hung between the two rooms. “Don't keep him out too long, Menga.”
“Mon Dieu!” gasped the marquise, glancing about like a hunted creature at bay. “I know I have become pale. ”

“ That child cannot take one step without his father's consent. Why, even this woman,” indicating Menga, “knows that much. Take him to bed!” he ended sharply.
As Menga submissively took the little boy's hand and led him away, Nancy, with her eyes fixed on the prince's saturnine face, said between her teeth: “You think I'm alone. You think I have no one to help me. All right, but you won't beat me.”
Up to this point the Baxters had taken no part in the discussion, but had listened to every word; Mrs. Baxter, with dismay; Mr. Baxter, with ever-increasing anger. ”

“ I would not load you with such armor—just two or three; the little coronet, the ruby brooch, the necklace.”
Unable to withstrain himself longer, Victor came forward to the table.
“Do not insist,” he said, with a significant glance at the prince, which the latter, clever as he was, was far from understanding. “She does not even wish to see them. She has already shown us so much consideration. Let me put them away.”
He reached out his hand to take the box, but the prince drew it back. “You see,” he said to Nancy, “your husband would not even ask it. ”

“ De Savergne picked up the empty case, returned it to the receptacle behind the panel, and closed the latter. Then he came back to her side.
“It is a token between us of the new beginning,” he said persuasively.
But she would not listen. “It is your wife's. It was given to her on her wedding day.”
“For three generations it has been given to the De Savergne bride. It is not hers, it is the family's.” ”