Volume Ii Part 9 (2/2)
At that moment Thelenie's eyes emitted flames, and their expression was so far from loving that Chamoureau found them less beautiful than usual.
He had never seen his superb wife's face wear such a savage, threatening expression; he felt ill at ease, he was frightened, and he stammered:
”Madame, you--you--dis--dis--distress me; what--what--what's the m--m--matter?”
Thelenie strove to calm herself as she replied:
”Why, nothing's the matter, monsieur; only my nerves are on edge this morning, and the slightest thing upsets me, irritates me. Go on, I am listening.”
Chamoureau repeated to his wife all that Freluchon had told him concerning Edmond's new love-affair. Thelenie listened attentively; she tried to remain calm; to avoid tearing her lace; and she rejoined with apparent tranquillity:
”So these women who live at Ch.e.l.les are known to you?”
”Yes, my dear love; it was through me that they bought Monsieur Courtivaux's house--for twenty thousand francs, as I remember.”
”What sort of women are they?”
”Madame Dalmont, the one who bought the house, is a widow, some twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, with an interesting, but sad face; of moderate means, she told me herself. Her young friend, the one Monsieur Edmond is so much in love with, must be about sixteen or seventeen--she's an orphan, I believe--but such a pretty face! lovely fair hair, blue eyes----”
”Enough, monsieur! you have extolled this surprising beauty too much already! I shall end by thinking that you are in love with her too!”
”Ah! madame, you know very well that you alone, whose unapproachable charms----”
”And Monsieur Edmond has hired a house at Ch.e.l.les? he lives there now?”
”Yes, in order to be near those ladies.”
”At whose house he visits?”
”Naturally.”
After a few minutes of silence, Thelenie said:
”Monsieur, all _comme il faut_ people have a house in the country, a villa to which they go for the summer. Of course you do not expect me to stay cooped up in Paris all summer, like a shopkeeper on Rue Saint-Denis.”
”Madame--I think--faith! I don't know; I will do whatever you want.”
”I want a country house, monsieur; we will hire one.”
”Very well, my dear love; I will look about for one, I will read the _Pet.i.tes-Affiches_.”
”Don't take all that trouble; just tell them to put the horses in the carriage, and we will look for a house in the neighborhood that I like best.”
Chamoureau executed his wife's orders with alacrity, while she, left to her reflections, said to herself:
”Ah! I will know this woman whom you love, ungrateful Edmond! and I will find a way to put a spoke in your love-affairs!”
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