“Wherever were you?”
“Up-stairs, in the room at the end of the passage, you know.”
At this, Campardon held up his arms and exclaimed:
“What! with Octave! it isn’t possible!”
With Octave, with that bean-stalk, such a pretty, plump little woman! He was annoyed. Rose, also, felt vexed, and was now inclined to be severe. As for Gasparine, she was quite beside herself, stung to the heart by her instinctive hatred of the young man. He again! she knew very well that he had them all; but she was certainly not going to be so stupid as to keep them warm for him in her home.
“Put yourself in our place,” resumed she, harshly. “I tell you again we have a young girl here.”
“Besides,” said Campardon, in his turn, “there is the house to be considered; there is your husband, with whom I have always been on the best of terms. He would have a right to be surprised. It will never do for us to appear to publicly approve your conduct, madame, oh! a conduct which I do not permit myself to judge, but which is rather—what shall I say?—rather indiscreet, is it not?”
“We are certainly not going to cast stones at you,” continued Rose. “Only, the world is so wicked! People will say that you had your meetings here. And, you know, my husband works for some very strait-laced people. At the least stain on his morality, he would lose everything. But, allow me to ask you, madame, how is it you were not restrained by religion? The Abbé Mauduit was talking to us of you quite paternally, only the day before yesterday.”
Berthe turned her head about between the three of them, looking at the one who spoke, in a bewildered sort of way. In the midst of her fright, she was beginning to understand; she felt surprised at being there. Why had she rang; what was she doing amongst these people whom she disturbed? She saw them clearly now—the wife occupying the whole width of the bed, the husband in his drawers, and the cousin in a thin skirt, the pair of them white with the feathers of the same pillow. They were right; it was not proper to tumble amongst people in that way. And, as the architect pushed her gently toward the ante-room, she went off without even answering Rose’s religious regrets.
“Shall I accompany you as far as your parents’ door?” asked Campardon. “Your place is with them.”