But my wife! Since that evening when she had followed me, she was convinced that I either was or had been on intimate terms with Madame Firmin. I certainly should not tell her that my former neighbor was there, but if she should see Ernest, she would undoubtedly find it out.

I was as disturbed as if I were guilty; if I had been, perhaps I should not have been so embarra.s.sed. However, I could not avoid saying good-evening to Madame Firmin; I certainly would not be impolite because my wife was unjust; but I would try to do it without letting her see me.

I walked toward Ernest, who had seen me and was coming toward me.

"So you are here, my dear Blemont? I am delighted that you are; I didn't expect the pleasure of meeting you. So you know Leberger, do you?"

"Yes, he comes to my house sometimes."

"His ball is very fine. I brought my wife; look, she is over there dancing."

"I have seen her."

"Marguerite did not want to come; but I lost my temper, and at last she consented. In the first place, Leberger told me: 'It is just a small affair, without any formality.' Anyone would expect that, at a bachelor's quarters; and after all, my wife is quite as good as other women here. The instant that I call her my wife, no one should presume to call her anything else; and if we could know what all the people in this room have done, I fancy that we should learn some fine things."

"You know my ideas on that subject, my dear Ernest; I am not one of those who believe in virtue only after a visit to the notary's office.

But no one here knows that you are not married, and it's, not one of those things which there is any need of proclaiming."

"Of course not. Just look at Marguerite; see how lovely she is! I was frightened, because I thought she would be awkward before people; she makes a better figure than I expected. I said to her before we came into the room: 'My dear love, just persuade yourself that you are better-looking than all the people whom you are to see here, and then their staring will not frighten you.'"

"That is what a woman should always say to herself, even when she goes to court."

"Madame your wife is not here?"

"I beg pardon, she is."

"Oh! then I must go and bid her good-evening."

"I think that she is dancing now.--There are some very amusing faces here, are there not?"

"Oh, yes! there are some fine subjects for a farce."

I trusted that Ernest would forget to pay his respects to my wife; but how was I to prevent him? The quadrille came to an end. I took advantage of the moment when the ladies were being escorted to their seats, and I went to Madame Ernest, who luckily was far away from my wife.

My old neighbor seemed overjoyed to see me.

"Do sit down here with me a moment," she said; "I am so glad to find someone that I know! I am lost in the midst of all these people. And poor Ernest doesn't dare to leave me. I am afraid that it is boring him.--Do you think that my hair looks well?"

"Very well, madame."

"It seems to me that it looks unbecoming. I much prefer myself in the little cap that I always wear at home. But Ernest insisted upon bringing me, so of course I had to make a toilet."

"I beg pardon, madame, I should be very pleased to stay with you; but, you see, my wife is with me----"

"Madame Blemont is here! dear me! and I am keeping you. Oh! do show me your Eugenie; I should like so much to see her."

"At this moment there are too many people between us. But Ernest knows her, he will show her to you. Excuse me, but I shall have the pleasure of seeing you again."

I left Madame Ernest; she probably considered me far from courteous. Mon Dieu! how horrible it is to have a suspicious wife; a man does not know what to do nor how to behave in society.

At that moment Belan clutched my arm and said:

"Good-evening, my friend; you know that I am not a cuckold."

"Bless my soul! did I ever say that you were, my dear Belan?"

"My friend, I have my reasons for telling you this. Those blackguardly Girauds have made most shameful remarks. My mother-in-law wanted me to fight them."

"Fight Giraud and his wife?"

"I mean the husband, of course; I was anxious to do it myself; but my wife Armide insisted that it wasn't worth while.--But those people are here; and when I see them I cannot contain myself."

"Mon Dieu! do you mean to say that you believe everything that is told you? Perhaps the Girauds have never mentioned you."

"Oh! yes, they have; they have even--Excuse me, my mother-in-law is beckoning to me."

Belan left me. I was still laughing at what he had said when I saw Ernest talking with my wife. Well! there was no way of preventing that.

After all, I was very foolish to torment myself when I had no reason for self-reproach.

Ernest walked away from Eugenie, and I went to her. From her manner toward me, I saw that she knew that Madame Firmin was there.

"I did not want to come to this ball," said Eugenie; "it was clearly a presentiment. I should have followed my inclination, and then I should not have come into contact with people whom I don't want to see. You have been talking with your former neighbor, monsieur, of course?"

"My neighbor? Oh! I beg your pardon--you mean Madame Firmin."

"I know that she is here,--her _monsieur_ was good enough to tell me so just now."

"It is true that Madame Firmin is here and that I have been to say good-evening to her."

"How pleasant it is for me to be at a party with that woman!"

"I give you my word that, if I had known that she was to be here to-night, I would not have urged you to come."

"Oh! I believe you! but you need not let that embarra.s.s you, monsieur.

Ah! that is she, no doubt, just pa.s.sing with her Monsieur Ernest. What an ordinary face! anyone could see what she is. But pray go, monsieur; perhaps she wants to speak to you. She is staring at me, I believe, the impertinent creature! I beg you, monsieur, at least to forbid her to look at me in that way."

I was on the rack; Ernest and Marguerite had pa.s.sed very close to us, and I trembled lest they had heard Eugenie. I walked away and took a seat at an ecarte table, where I remained for more than an hour.

When I returned to the ballroom, I pa.s.sed Madame Ernest. She looked at me and smiled; evidently she had not overheard my wife; I walked toward her, for I had made up my mind, and I was no longer disturbed about what people might think.

"Do you not dance, Monsieur Blemont?"

"Not often."

"I have seen your wife; she is very pretty, but she has rather a serious expression. Is she always like that?"

"No, she has a headache."