"At that, the big man who was armed observed that I was a joker, that it was probably a prearranged scene, and the tall woman said:

"'I don't like jokes of this kind; I call it downright impertinent.'

"And they immediately shut the door in my face, just as the little man who was dancing posed as _Zephir_."

"Monsieur must have called at Madame Droguet's!" said Agathe, laughingly.

"Ah! that lady's name is Droguet, is it? it is well suited to her.--Appalled by my inhospitable reception, I walked on through the streets, shouting exactly like a crier announcing the loss of some object or the approach of the day when taxes must be paid; in villages they never fail to make that announcement, in order to stimulate the zeal of the taxpayers. But your servant came to my rescue, madame, and guided me here."

"And now, Freluchon, I will reply to your reproaches in very few words.

I certainly intended to join you, but these ladies had the extreme kindness to invite me to dine with them. Tell me now, if you had been in my place, would you not have done exactly as I did, and accepted?"

"It's very likely; but I would have sent a messenger to Gournay to set my friend's mind at rest."

"You? you never would have thought of such a thing! And besides, there are no messengers in a village."

"You won't have so much difficulty in finding your friend when he has lodgings here," said Agathe.

"Ah! do you propose to hire a house here?"

"No, not a house, but a small apartment."

"Monsieur's lungs are delicate," said Honorine, "and he thinks that the country air will do him good."

"Your lungs delicate! Well! that is a good one!"

And Freluchon threw himself back in his chair, laughing uproariously, oblivious to the glances Edmond bestowed upon him.

Honorine put an end to the scene by saying to the newcomer:

"Will monsieur have something to eat?"

"Infinitely obliged, madame; but when one has eaten eleven slices of eel, one needs nothing but exercise.--But the trains--what time does the last train leave for Paris?"

"At ten o'clock."

"In that case, it will be well for us to start."

Edmond realized that his friend was right; he took leave of the ladies, thanking them for their hospitable welcome; while Freluchon eyed Poucette, whose robust figure aroused his admiration.

Then the two young men went to the station.

IV

CHAMOUREAU MARRIED

Chamoureau, who was in such utter despair when he lost his Eleonore--or who pretended to be, for genuine sorrow does not act a part and make a public display of its tears; it seeks solitude and finds solace in its memories--Chamoureau had contracted a second marriage; he had become the husband of the woman whose charms had turned his head. At last he possessed the fair Thelenie, if it is proper to say that one possesses a woman when she gives herself to one without love. In my opinion one has only the usufruct in such cases.

The newly-married pair had taken a handsome apartment on Rue Saint-Lazare. Thelenie had informed her husband that she proposed to have a carriage, and he had bowed to his wife's wishes, saying:

"My dear love, we will have whatever you wish; I shall always consider it a pleasure and a duty to gratify all your desires."

"In that case, monsieur, you may begin by ceasing to call me _thou_; there is nothing in worse form than to thee-and-thou one's wife; and I am a stickler for good form."

"What, my dear love, after three days of married life, thou--you want----"

"You have thee-and-thoued me three days already, and that's too much; I tell you again, monsieur, that in good society a man and wife don't do it. You seem desirous to appear like a petty government clerk."

"I don't agree to that--but I thought----"

"Enough--it's decided: you are not to call me _thou_ any more."

"What! not even in the blissful moments when my affection----"

"Hush! that's enough."

"The devil! that will embarra.s.s me terribly."

From that moment Chamoureau no longer ventured to use the familiar form of address to his wife; in her presence he was like a scholar before his teacher, or rather, like a soldier before his commanding officer. He dared not speak unless he was questioned; he had no opinions, tastes, desires; Madame Chamoureau took all that responsibility on her shoulders.

As is frequently the case with women who have led very dissipated lives, Thelenie, after her marriage, a.s.sumed a very severe demeanor and bearing; she became a veritable prude, frowned if anyone made a ribald remark before her, and scolded her husband if he presumed to laugh at it. She refused to go to the Theatre de Palais-Royal, and she could not understand how women could have the effrontery to waltz.

Such was Madame de Belleville; for the newly-married pair answered to no other name, and Thelenie had said to her husband more than once:

"Remember, monsieur, that your name is no longer Chamoureau; when anyone calls you by that name, don't answer, but turn a deaf ear and go your way."

"But, my dear love, there are people who have known me a long while, and who know perfectly well that my name is Chamoureau."

"Tell those people once for all that you answer to no name but Belleville."

"There are some who think that I live at Belleville, and that that's what I mean."

"Bah! monsieur, what difference does all that make? Suppose you should cease to be the friend of the pack of fools with whom you used to a.s.sociate, where would be the harm?"

"That's true; in that case, I cease to know my former acquaintances; I have a handsome fortune, and I ought not to frequent the same kind of society."

"Oh! by the way, monsieur, there are two persons to whom I give you leave to speak, and even, if--if it will be agreeable to you to see them--you may ask them to call on us; I shall not be sorry to let them see the comfort and elegance of our home."

"Very well, dear love; and who are these two persons whom you are kind enough to be willing to receive?"

"Monsieur Edmond Didier and his friend Freluchon."

"Oho! why, if I'm not mistaken, you demanded, before marrying me, that I should break off all relations with those two gentlemen."