"My friend," he said to me in an undertone, "I thank you for what you have just done; I shall not forget it."
"Oh! you must have seen the ostentation with which those people refused to stand opposite my wife. Indeed, I overheard some words from that little man's tall wife, and I had difficulty in restraining myself."
"Oh, no! she is afraid of compromising herself by standing opposite a woman who is not married! what a pitiful thing! If I chose to investigate the conduct of many of these married ladies, I fancy that I should make some very fine discoveries."
Ernest talked quite loud and glanced ironically about. I was afraid that someone would hear him; I dreaded a scene. Luckily the quadrille came to an end. Little Marguerite had also noticed that several ladies smiled meaningly as they looked at her. She was not at her ease. She said to Ernest immediately after the dance:
"We are going now, aren't we, my dear? It is late, and I am tired."
"No, we will not go yet," replied Ernest sharply; "I should be very sorry to go now; we will stay until the last."
His wife was not in the habit of replying, and besides, she saw plainly that there was something wrong. Firmin took my arm and led me away. We walked around the studio. I tried to divert his thoughts from the subject which engrossed them, but Giraud came toward us, rubbing his hands.
"There is plenty of gossip here," he said to me; "those Bélans are evil-tongued, I tell you."
"My dear Giraud, I care little about gossip, and----"
"Do you see that young woman in blue over there, with blue flowers in her hair?"
Giraud was pointing to Madame Ernest. I did not reply, and I tried to drag Firmin away in another direction; but he dropped my arm and walked up to Giraud, saying:
"What have you heard about that lady? I am very fond of gossip myself."
"They say that she isn't married; that she's the mistress of a young author who is here, and who introduces her everywhere as his wife."
In vain I looked at Giraud and made signs to him; he was not looking at me, and he continued to speak to Firmin:
"People don't like it because Leberger invited her to his ball, and they say that she doesn't amount to much; that she has been an embroiderer, or a lacemaker; someone even declared that she used to be in the ballet at one of the boulevard theatres."