Volume Ii Part 35 (2/2)
”As your husband?”
”Exactly. Here are five hundred francs to replenish your wardrobe.
Return to Paris and get yourself suitable clothes.”
”Never fear; I shall be superb!”
”And when you speak, don't drop into slang, as you did just now.”
”There are some people in the best society who talk slang--as a joke.
It's admissible.”
”Don't swear by ten thousand cabbages! that's horribly vulgar!”
”I should say that it was extremely German.”
”And then, don't be forever playing the windmill with your cane; you look like a merry-andrew.”
”Enough, beautiful princess; I will be perfumed, curled and corseted; in fact, I will be very _comme il faut_ in my dress as in my speech.”
”Very good; go back to Paris and come here to-morrow with a proper wardrobe.”
”I will be very _chic_. So I don't dine here to-day?”
”No; you will need time to make your purchases, and you must come back to-morrow.”
”But what about that dear De Belleville, who counts on finding me here?”
”Oh! don't let that disturb you; I will tell him that you absolutely insisted on going to Paris to change your clothes.”
”'Tis well; I go then, and I return to-morrow.”
”Yes; and I will set about finding you a little place near by.”
”Au revoir then. To-morrow the Baron von Schtapelmerg will do credit to Madame de Belleville.”
Croque took leave of Thelenie, went away by the avenue of lindens, and, overjoyed to have five hundred francs in his pocket, could not resist the temptation to play the windmill with his cane.
XIII
THE WARNING
Edmond had been in Paris several days, because he had been led to hope that he would be appointed to a place to which a handsome salary was attached; he had gone through all the manoeuvring that is indispensable when one is seeking employment. And then the place had finally been given to another, who had taken very little pains to obtain it, but who had the patronage of a petticoat.
Edmond returned to Ch.e.l.les, to Agathe, who saw by the expression of his eyes that he had been disappointed.
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