"Oh, yes," said Mme. de Saint-Sauveur, "that is most astonishing, for everything, nowadays, is for the other kind of women. What do you think happened to me in the country—a most disagreeable affair! There is a woman, who is not all she ought to be, living near us. We came across her at church, for she has sittings there—just fancy! Well, ever since she has arrived in our part of the world, everything has gone up in price. We positively cannot get a sewing-girl now in the house for less than seven-pence halfpenny an hour. Money is nothing to creatures of that kind, of course. And then every one adores her—she is such a schemer. She goes to see the peasants when they are ill, she finds situations for their children, and she gives them money—a sovereign at a time. Before she came we used to be able to do things for the poor without much expense, but that isn't possible now. It's outrageous! I told the curé so—it really is quite scandalous! And we owe all this to one of your relatives, M. de Lorsac, to your cousin, M. d'Orambeau. My compliments to him when you see him."
The two young men threw themselves back on their chairs and laughed heartily, and then both of them instinctively bit their canes with delight.
"Where have you just come from?" Mme. Davarande asked her mother and sister.
"From the auction-room," answered Mme. Mauperin. "M. Barousse persuaded us to go to an exhibition of pictures."
"Lord Mansbury's collection," put in Renée.
"Ah, we must go to those auction-rooms, Henriette," said Mme. de Thésigny; "we'll go and rococoter—it's great fun."
"Have you seen Petrucci's pictures, my dear?" asked Mme. de Saint-Sauveur.
"Is she selling them?" asked Mme. de Thésigny.
"I did so want to go," said Mme. Davarande. "If I had only known that you were going——"
"We were all there," interrupted Mme. de Saint-Sauveur. "It was so curious. There was a glass-case of jewellery, a necklace of black pearls among other things—if only you had seen it—three rows. There isn't a husband in the world who could give you a thing like that; it would take a national subscription."