It might be that Madame de Grangeville had not passed her fortieth birthday, but it would have been dangerous to make that assertion, because she was always so carefully gotten up, even in the most trivial details of her toilet, because she was always dressed in such perfect taste, made use of such delicious perfumery, and carried herself so gracefully, that she would inevitably be always young.
The baroness's arrival created a sensation in Monsieur Glumeau's salon, for it should be said that none of the guests there assembled had previously met that lady, to whom the Glumeaus had been introduced at a third house, where, delighted with her affability, they had invited her to dine with them.
The master of the house, despite his interesting situation, could not do otherwise than offer the lady his hand to escort her to his wife, who received the baroness with an effusion of cordiality and satisfaction which seemed overdone to some of the guests.
"She is very good-looking," said Monsieur Dufournelle to his wife, who whispered:
"But I say yes, she is now; she is a person who still makes conquests, I am sure."
"Ah! I am glad to hear that, my dear; it makes me think that I shall continue to be attractive for a long time to come."
"A lovely dress, a very distinguished bearing!" said Monsieur Camuzard to his daughter.
Mademoiselle Polymnie scrutinized it all without winking, and replied simply:
"Ha! ha!" laughed the facetious Chambourdin, tapping Monsieur Mangeot on the shoulder, "that's rather a dainty bit still, eh? What do we think of it, friend Mangeot?"
"I think that it's almost six o'clock, and that I am starving to death!"
"As the baroness has arrived, dinner will probably be served."
"Why, no--look--there's Glumeau running away now! Do you see how he slinks off? Where in the devil can he be going?"
But the gentlemen were too late that time; Monsieur Glumeau finally succeeded in leaving the salon; he would have left one of his coat tails there rather than not go.
Amid all the reflections and comments to which Madame de Grangeville's entrance had given rise, a single person had said not a word--that person was Monsieur de Merval. However, he had scrutinized the baroness no less closely, perhaps even more closely, than the others had done, and his expression, as he looked at her, seemed to indicate that it was not the first time that he had seen her; being a man of the world, however, he was able to conceal his sensations.