"He is at the studio."
"I came to talk over the work with him."
"I will send for him," said Hortense, offering Stidmann a chair.
Thanking Heaven for this piece of luck, Hortense was glad to detain Stidmann to ask some questions about the evening before. Stidmann bowed in acknowledgment of her kindness. The Countess Steinbock rang; the cook appeared, and was desired to go at once and fetch her master from the studio.
"You had an amusing dinner last night?" said Hortense. "Wenceslas did not come in till past one in the morning."
"Amusing? not exactly," replied the artist, who had intended to fascinate Madame Marneffe. "Society is not very amusing unless one is interested in it. That little Madame Marneffe is clever, but a great flirt."
"And what did Wenceslas think of her?" asked poor Hortense, trying to keep calm. "He said nothing about her to me."
"I will only say one thing," said Stidmann, "and that is, that I think her a very dangerous woman."
Hortense turned as pale as a woman after childbirth.
"So—it was at—at Madame Marneffe's that you dined—and not—not with Chanor?" said she, "yesterday—and Wenceslas—and he——"