“My friend, I have my reasons for telling you this. Those blackguardly Girauds have made most shameful remarks. My mother-in-law wanted me to fight them.”
“Fight Giraud and his wife?”
“I mean the husband, of course; I was anxious to do it myself; but my wife Armide insisted that it wasn’t worth while.—But those people are here; and when I see them I cannot contain myself.”
“Mon Dieu! do you mean to say that you believe everything that is told you? Perhaps the Girauds have never mentioned you.”
“Oh! yes, they have; they have even—Excuse me, my mother-in-law is beckoning to me.”
Bélan left me. I was still laughing at what he had said when I saw Ernest talking with my wife. Well! there was no way of preventing that. After all, I was very foolish to torment myself when I had no reason for self-reproach.
Ernest walked away from Eugénie, and I went to her. From her manner toward me, I saw that she knew that Madame Firmin was there.
“I did not want to come to this ball,” said Eugénie; “it was clearly a presentiment. I should have followed my inclination, and then I should not have come into contact with people whom I don’t want to see. You have been talking with your former neighbor, monsieur, of course?”
“My neighbor? Oh! I beg your pardon—you mean Madame Firmin.”
“I know that she is here,—her monsieur was good enough to tell me so just now.”