The Sprightly Romance of Marsac by Molly Elliot Seawell

Some weeks now passed, but not in the happiness which might have been expected when it was at least certain that Fontaine and Claire could freely love each other. Old Duval had returned late, the night he had driven with Madame Fleury to Paris, and his conduct since had been such as to make his family miserable. Under pretence of having some repairs made in the Passy villa, he had brought them all back to Paris in the heats of May; and it was tolerably certain that this move was in order to be nearer Madame Fleury. Claire was wretched at this idea; and although, being a timid girl, she dared not question her father, she had every reason to suspect his infatuation for the widow who had come so near wrecking Fontaine's life.

As for Fontaine, although he daily and hourly got the benefit of his reputed two millions, all the money he made went like wildfire in the effort to keep up the delusion of a great fortune. He spent his principal, and the world thought he was spending his income. Besides, he feared seriously the effect his deception might have upon Claire when she found it out, -- which she must, sometime or other. Then he began to have a morbid apprehension of the real Uncle Maurice turning up; and last and worst of all, he was now saddled with a reputation for brilliancy founded upon the play, the speech, and the picture, -- all Marsac's work, which had been ably sustained by the series of powerful articles signed by him and written by Marsac, -- which was simply maddening. Fontaine, who was of an extremely honest and simple nature, suffered agonies from this false reputation; but the embarrassed manner and sickly smile with which he received compliments on his achievements was taken for modesty; and he passed, therefore, as the most modest as well as the most gifted young man in Paris.