Part 42 (2/2)
Gustave left the room. Adolphine had difficulty in concealing her grief.
f.a.n.n.y, meanwhile, looked at herself in a mirror, saying:
”What is the matter with Monsieur Gustave, I wonder? He had a very tragic air as he left us. It wasn't polite of him to refuse my invitation. And I fancied that it would give him the greatest pleasure!
There are so many young men who would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to come to my evenings!”
”In your eyes, Monsieur Gustave ought not to be like other young men.
And I cannot conceive how you could have dreamed of urging him to come to see you,” rejoined Adolphine, in a trembling voice.
”Why not, I should like to know? You seem to be surprised at everything!”
”But after all that happened between you before you were married----”
”All what? Monsieur Gustave was in love with me. Ah! there are many others who are in love with me to-day--yes, and who pay court to me, too. But that won't keep them from coming to dance at our ball--quite the contrary; and they have engaged me beforehand for I don't know how many contra-dances. But I shall take only those whom I like. I would have done as much for Gustave; or, rather, I would have given him the preference--I would have let him have more dances.”
”But don't you see that Gustave still loves you? that he can't accustom himself to seeing you as another man's wife, and that it would be impossible for him to meet your husband?”
”Do you think that that young man still loves me so much as that?”
”To be sure; he was just telling me so himself when you came.”
”Ah! the poor boy! I am sorry for him, but I thought he had grown reasonable! A constant lover! Why, the fellow is a perfect phoenix!”
”A phoenix that you would have none of!”
”I don't repent. My husband is not a phoenix in love, I admit. At first, he adored me; then, it suddenly pa.s.sed away. But I wasn't silly enough to groan over it. He has continued to lavish on me all the pleasures and amus.e.m.e.nts that wealth can procure. What more could I ask?
I consider myself the luckiest woman in Paris. Whereas with that poor Gustave--that phoenix of constancy!--I should have vegetated; I should have gone to the play on Sunday, as a treat!”
”Monsieur Gustave is already in a much better position. His uncle is so well satisfied with him that he gives him ten thousand francs a year now.”
”Ten thousand francs! Well, yes, that is something. One can manage to live with that. But how far he is still from Auguste's position!”
”And then, too, f.a.n.n.y, when you invite Monsieur Gustave to your house, you seem to forget that duel. Your husband knows that it was he who was in such despair on account of your marriage, and that that was the cause----”
”Oh! for heaven's sake, let me alone, Adolphine! My husband has forgotten all about that. He has much more important things in his head.
When a man is intent on making millions, do you suppose he wastes any time on trifles of that sort? Oh! mon Dieu! chattering here with you, I forgot that I have to call on my broker.”
”You have a broker, f.a.n.n.y?”
”To be sure. I speculate on the Bourse, too--just to amuse myself a little, you know. But I do not intrust my affairs to my husband, because he would ridicule me. Adieu, little sister! Make your preparations for our grand party on Thursday. Oh! we shall have much sport. I am going to have a ravis.h.i.+ng gown.”
Madame Monleard took her leave; whereupon Adolphine sank into a chair, saying to herself:
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