“No, she wouldn’t do anything; but she is jealous, and it would make her unhappy.”

“She would be very foolish to be jealous of me.”

“That is true; but jealous people often are foolish, you know.”

“Henri, I am going to make a proposition to you.”

“What is it?”

“Take me to dinner instead of your wife. You can tell her this evening that you had an engagement that you couldn’t break.”

“No, I haven’t reached that point yet, thank heaven!

“Oh! I was only joking, monsieur; I know that you are too virtuous to play such a trick. Have you got ants on your legs?”

“No, but I don’t want to stand here.”

“Very well; let us walk then.”