His wife accompanied him, pale, worn, with flat headbands drawn over her temples.
Professor Remusot had left the day before, after having, it was said, purchased his chalet on exceptionally favorable conditions.
The two other doctors would have liked to know what these conditions were, but Andermatt merely said in reply to them: "Oh! we have made little advantageous arrangements for everybody. If you desired to follow his example, we might see our way to a mutual understanding—we might see our way. When you have made up your mind, you can let me know, and then we'll talk about it."
Doctor Latonne appeared in his turn, then Doctor Honorat, without his wife, whom he did not bring with him. A din of voices now filled the drawing-room, the loud buzz of conversation. Gontran never left Louise Oriol's side, put his head over her shoulder in addressing her, and said with a laugh every now and again to whoever was passing near him: "This is an enemy of whom I am making a conquest."
Mazelli took a seat beside Professor Cloche's daughter. For some days he had been constantly following her about; and she had received his advances with provoking audacity.
The Duchess, who kept him well in view, appeared irritated and trembling. Suddenly she rose, crossed the drawing-room, and interrupted her doctor's confidential chat with the pretty red-haired widow, saying: "Come, Mazelli, we are going to retire. I feel rather ill at ease."
As soon as they had gone out, Christiane drew close to Paul's side, and said to him: "Poor woman! she must suffer so much!"
He asked heedlessly: "Who, pray?"
"The Duchess! You don't see how jealous she is."
He replied abruptly: "If you begin to groan over everything you can lay hold of now, you'll have no end of weeping."