I wished Lucile at the devil with all my heart. It was her malice, her obstinacy, that had caused all the trouble. The idea of her refusing to leave me! It was simply because it annoyed me.
It seemed to me that if we were to maintain that attitude, I should do well to ring for dinner at once.
Our room looked on the Champs-Elysées. The weather was beautiful; although it was only the middle of April, it was as warm as midsummer. I opened the window and looked out at the passers-by for some time. Eugénie did not budge; I walked to her side.
“Eugénie, do you propose to stay a mile away from the table like this?”
“I told you that I was not hungry. Eat your dinner, monsieur, I don’t object.”
“What a delightful pleasure party!”
“Yes, I shall remember it.”
“And so shall I, madame. You must have a very bad temper to refuse to listen to reason! The idea of thinking that I was looking for that woman when I was waiting for you!”
“I don’t say that you were looking for her, monsieur, I am not foolish enough for that; but I do think that she was looking for you, a task which you often save her, no doubt. Besides, you have admitted that she used to be your mistress.”
“That I knew her before I was married, that is true, madame. Perhaps I was foolish to admit that; but as I had done no wrong, I did not think that I ought to lie.”