Part 34 (2/2)
”I have guessed all that. I am sorry for you, my friend, but I bear you no ill will.”
”I am going to invite your wife for the next contradance.”
”No, for it will make your wife unhappy.”
”She has not hesitated to make me unhappy; and I choose to prove that I have no share in her spiteful remarks.”
I invited Madame Ernest for the quadrille; she accepted, saying with a laugh:
”I am very glad that you have asked me, monsieur; I thought that you did not consider that I danced well enough for you.”
”I am going to dance opposite you,” said Ernest; ”then I shall be sure that you will have a vis-a-vis.”
The violins struck up. I took my partner's hand. There were only enough people left to form one set. All our acquaintances had gone.
I looked about for my wife. She was ghastly pale, and that made me wretched; I felt all my anger fade away. I was almost sorry that I was dancing; but she should not have driven me to the wall.
Suddenly Eugenie rose and came toward me. What was she going to do?
”Monsieur, I do not feel well, and I want to go.”
”We will go after the quadrille, madame.”
”No, monsieur, I want to go at once.”
Marguerite overheard my wife, and instantly said:
”Monsieur Blemont, if madame your wife is not well, go, I beg you; do not mind me.”
”No, madame; I shall have the pleasure of dancing with you; then we will go.”
”What, monsieur,” said Eugenie satirically; ”you do not come when madame gives you leave?”
”Madame, that is enough; not a word more, I beg you.”
”Very good! that is all, monsieur. I will leave you. Dance with this woman; make her your mistress again as she used to be when she lived under the eaves, in the attics of your house! I am going home.”
And she did go. But Madame Ernest had heard all; Eugenie had spoken loud enough to be sure of being overheard. Marguerite had turned red and pale by turns. She hung her head, and I thought that I could see tears glistening in her eyes. But she quickly recovered herself, wiped her eyes with her handkerchief, and tried to resume a smiling expression as she looked at her husband.
I was thunderstruck and enraged at the same time. I did not know where I was; and in the midst of all that perturbation of spirit, I had to dance!
”Well, it is your turn,” called Ernest. ”Forward! what are you thinking about?”
Luckily he had heard nothing. I took advantage of a moment when we were not dancing, to say to my partner in an undertone:
”Madame, you heard what my wife said, I see. I do not ask you to forgive her; she is unpardonable, jealousy has disturbed her reason; but be good enough to believe that I am more hurt than you by what she has said.”
<script>