"And then," added another, "M. de Morville's mother is in a very alarming state, and every body knows how fond he is of her."
"His love for his mother has nothing to do with what we are talking of," said the domino; "as to his fidelity to his souvenir of Lady Melford, he has changed from ridicule and exaggeration; that is generous of him, inasmuch as it varies our amusement: he has seen the folly of that exaggeration."
"What do you mean?"
"I am not the dupe of his affectation to avoid Madame de Hansfeld. I will bet a wager that he is enamoured of her, and desires to attract her attention by his calculating originality."
"That is impossible," said Fierval.
"It is too vulgar a mode," added Gercourt.
"The very reason that M. de Morville has recourse to it; he is too dull to invent any other."
"What!—would he have awaited the arrival of Madame de Hansfeld in order to be unfaithful, when, for nearly two years, he had nothing to do but to take his choice of the loveliest comforters?"
"Nothing more simple," said the domino. "The difficulty has tempted him; no one has succeeded with Madame de Hansfeld, and he would he jealous of this success; because De Morville is a fool, it does not follow that he is not a coxcomb."
"And because you have wit, charming mask," said M. de Brévannes, "it does not follow that you should be just."