“Waiting for me; why, I should like to know?”
“Why, so that we may retire together.”
“Since when, monsieur, have you needed my company to go to your apartment?”
Chamoureau simpered and balanced himself on one leg as he replied:
“To my apartment—of course not; but to-night, it would be very pleasant to me—it seems to me that after dancing so much—the natural sequence of a party—in short, my dear and loving heart, I would like to go with you to your room—you understand——”
And the amorous husband put out his hand to take his wife’s. But she abruptly withdrew her hand and exclaimed, with an angry glance at Chamoureau:
“It’s very becoming of you, monsieur, to presume to ask to pass the night with me, after all the idiotic things you have done to-day! for you have done nothing else.”
“What! I have been doing idiotic things! What were they, pray?”
“It is useless for me to tell you, monsieur; you wouldn’t understand me.”
“Was it my fault if Monsieur Luminot and Monsieur Edmond had a quarrel? After all, madame, it was you who insisted on inviting the two friends; I wouldn’t have asked them to come here myself. I was sure that Freluchon would call me Chamoureau, and he didn’t fail to do it; you heard him, didn’t you?”