"Aren't you going to dance with her?"

"She does not lack partners."

"I don't care if she doesn't; I have been invited to dance a great deal; but I insisted on dancing with Ernest too. I haven't missed a quadrille yet."

"Are you enjoying yourself here?"

"Pretty well. But I prefer to be at home in our chimney corner."

A partner came up and claimed Madame Ernest's hand. I sauntered about the ballroom. My wife was dancing with a very good-looking little dandy.

Belan was standing opposite his wife, at whom he gazed with admiration, while tall Armide seemed vexed to have her husband for her vis-a-vis.

Giraud joined me and said in a sly tone:

"It seems to me that Belan has shrunk since he was married; his wife crushes him."

"You are unkind, Giraud."

"Just look at the mother-in-law yonder. Either she has been weeping, is weeping, or is about to weep."

"Perhaps it is with pleasure."

"Oh, yes, she has a very merry expression! How Belan must enjoy himself with those two women! It hasn't brought him good luck, not inviting us to his wedding. By the way, the marquis is not with them. How does that happen?"

"What marquis?"

"Ha! ha! you pretend not to know, do you? It is everybody's secret.--But I believe that my daughter wants something to eat."

Marguerite was right: the world is very unkind!--The quadrille came to an end. I was standing near my wife, although I was not speaking to her.

Belan stopped beside us, and, while pa.s.sing the guests in review, pointed to Marguerite, saying:

"There's one of the prettiest women in the room!"

"You have wretched taste, monsieur," cried Eugenie. "How can anyone call that woman pretty? And what a style too! anyone can see what she is."

"What? What is she, pray? Do you know her?" Belan instantly made haste to ask.

"No, I don't know her; but I know what she is, and----"

"Madame," I interposed, "why do you feel called upon to speak ill of a person who has never injured you?"

"Never injured me? oh! you are pleased to say that, monsieur; but I may at least feel offended that Monsieur Leberger invites his friends'

mistresses to a ball that he gives for us."

"The deuce! what do you say? That little woman----"

"Is Monsieur Firmin's mistress."

"I was told that she was his wife."

"And she is his wife," I said, with an angry glance at Eugenie. But she continued in an ironical tone:

"No, Monsieur Belan, that little woman, whom you are kind enough to call pretty, is not Monsieur Firmin's wife; and monsieur knows that better than anyone, although he tells you the contrary."

"What? Do you mean that----"

I did not listen to what Belan said; I turned my back upon Eugenie. I did not believe that she was spiteful, but what she had just done disgusted me. At that moment I believe that I detested her.

The dancing continued, but many people had gone. I walked about the studio. It seemed to me that I heard several people whispering to one another, and at the same time pointing at Madame Ernest. Belan was quite capable of having gone about to tell all his acquaintances what my wife had told him. Poor Marguerite! she was pretty, so they were overjoyed to calumniate her. They would have been more indulgent if she had been ugly.

There was to be but one more quadrille. The orchestra gave the signal.

Madame Ernest had a partner, who led her to a place opposite my wife. I saw that Eugenie instantly led her partner away and took her place elsewhere. Thereupon Madame Ernest's partner led her to a place opposite Madame Belan. Tall Armide did as my wife had done; she turned on her heel and returned to her seat, crying in quite a loud tone:

"I prefer not to dance."

I was indignant. I hastily took the hand of the first lady I saw, without even taking time to invite her; I led her away and we took our places directly opposite Madame Ernest and her partner. Thereupon my wife did as Madame Belan had done; she left the quadrille, darting glances at me to which I paid very little heed. While we were dancing, Ernest approached me. His face was red and his eyes gleaming.

"My friend," he said to me in an undertone, "I thank you for what you have just done; I shall not forget it."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh! you must have seen the ostentation with which those people refused to stand opposite my wife. Indeed, I overheard some words from that little man's tall wife, and I had difficulty in restraining myself."

"You are mistaken, Ernest."

"Oh, no! she is afraid of compromising herself by standing opposite a woman who is not married! what a pitiful thing! If I chose to investigate the conduct of many of these married ladies, I fancy that I should make some very fine discoveries."

Ernest talked quite loud and glanced ironically about. I was afraid that someone would hear him; I dreaded a scene. Luckily the quadrille came to an end. Little Marguerite had also noticed that several ladies smiled meaningly as they looked at her. She was not at her ease. She said to Ernest immediately after the dance:

"We are going now, aren't we, my dear? It is late, and I am tired."

"No, we will not go yet," replied Ernest sharply; "I should be very sorry to go now; we will stay until the last."

His wife was not in the habit of replying, and besides, she saw plainly that there was something wrong. Firmin took my arm and led me away. We walked around the studio. I tried to divert his thoughts from the subject which engrossed them, but Giraud came toward us, rubbing his hands.

"There is plenty of gossip here," he said to me; "those Belans are evil-tongued, I tell you."

"My dear Giraud, I care little about gossip, and----"

"Do you see that young woman in blue over there, with blue flowers in her hair?"

Giraud was pointing to Madame Ernest. I did not reply, and I tried to drag Firmin away in another direction; but he dropped my arm and walked up to Giraud, saying:

"What have you heard about that lady? I am very fond of gossip myself."

"They say that she isn't married; that she's the mistress of a young author who is here, and who introduces her everywhere as his wife."

In vain I looked at Giraud and made signs to him; he was not looking at me, and he continued to speak to Firmin:

"People don't like it because Leberger invited her to his ball, and they say that she doesn't amount to much; that she has been an embroiderer, or a lacemaker; someone even declared that she used to be in the ballet at one of the boulevard theatres."