“His wife! She isn’t his wife.”
“It is practically the same thing, as they live together.”
“Such people are always very queer, and that woman would not be received in decent society.”
“Queer! What foolish prejudices! People in what is called good society won’t receive a woman who has lived a long time with the only man whom she ever loved; whose only care, whose only glory consists in making him happy; who goes out with no one but him, adorns herself for no one else, knows no pleasure without him; but they will welcome and make much of the woman who ruins her husband by extravagance, who does not even take the trouble to conceal her love-affairs, who goes about with no one but her cicisbeo. And all because those women are married, forsooth! Upon my word, it does great honor to society!”
“Mon Dieu! how you flare up, monsieur!”
“Because I cannot tolerate injustice, and because this particular injustice is often perpetrated in society. For my own part, I tell you that I shall always rise above such prejudices, and that I should be very glad to welcome Ernest and his wife at my house.”
“I thank you, monsieur, but I trust that you will not do so.”
“If you knew them, I am sure that you would not talk like this.”
“I have no desire to make their acquaintance; it is quite enough for you to be Mademoiselle Marguerite’s intimate friend.”
“Great heaven! how absurdly you talk, Eugénie!”