Part 40 (2/2)
”Oh, no! I a.s.sure you.”
”I believe you! She has something else to do than follow you!--Ha! ha!
ha! poor Henri!”
When Lucile laughed I felt the blood rus.h.i.+ng to my face; but I determined to restrain myself.
”Why do you laugh, Lucile? I don't see how you can know it, even if my wife has many things to do.”
”I know more about it than you, perhaps. I am better informed than you imagine.”
”In the first place, you don't know my wife.”
”I don't know her! I saw her once on the Terra.s.se des Feuillants, and once is enough for me to recognize a person; I give you my word that I have recognized her perfectly since, and that I am not mistaken.”
”What do you mean by that?”
”I mean that your wife plays her little games like other people.
Parbleu! I suppose you thought that you were a privileged mortal, didn't you? No, monsieur, she has given you horns to wear, and she has done it very neatly too.”
I strove to conceal the torture I felt and answered:
”You enjoy saying spiteful things to me; that is your habit; but you would be sorely embarra.s.sed to prove your slanderous remarks about my wife.”
”Slanderous! No, monsieur, there is no slander about it. Your wife looked to me like a drab the first time I saw her; but I wouldn't have said anything about her if I hadn't been sure of my facts. I can't say that I am sorry that your wife has lovers; I should lie if I said that; but still it wasn't I who told her to give you your horns--she didn't need my advice for that.”
”This is too much, Lucile! You must prove what you have told me, and prove it instantly.”
”Oh! what a hurry you are in, monsieur! I never hurry, myself. If you want me to answer you, you must come to my room first of all; I must have my coffee, I am hungry.”
Lucile walked toward her house; I followed her, saying to myself every minute:
”I must restrain myself, I must be a man; and if she has told me the truth, I must still try to act with prudence.”
Lucile entered a house with a pa.s.sageway at the side, near Rue de Crussol. She went up to the third floor, opened her door, and ushered me into a modestly furnished, but neat and well-kept room. She went to the fireplace, blew up her fire and prepared to boil her coffee. I seized her arm and stopped her.
”Will you leave me to suffer any longer, Lucile? I implore you, tell me all that you know about my wife!”
She looked at me; she seemed distressed.
”Mon Dieu! what a state you are in, Henri! If I had known it would have such an effect on you, I wouldn't have told you. How stupid it is to feel badly over such a small matter! Your wife goes her way and you go yours--isn't that the custom? You have mighty little philosophy!”
”I shall have enough when I am certain of my fate. Once more--speak!”
”Well, come to the window. Look: do you see that little low door over there?”
”Yes.”
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