"Really, mamma," said Cleopatra, the oldest of the daughters, to Madame Devaux, "we won't take Monsieur Dufresne to a ball again; just see how he acts! he doesn't dance! he looks like a bear!"
"That is true, my child! If he would only come and sit down by us and talk and pretend to be polite!"
"Oh, yes! why, he doesn't pay the slightest attention to us! I should like to know what he is doing in that corner, near Madame Germeuil!"
"He certainly is not agreeable, and I shall not take him to Monsieur Verdure's the day after to-morrow, where there is to be music, and perhaps a collation. I will take little Godard; he is rather stupid, but at all events he will dance as long as anybody wants him to."
"Yes, and he is always on hand to give us something to drink."
"By the way, Cleopatra, who will go home with us to-night?"
"Why, I don't know. Two of our gentlemen have gone away already; one had a headache, and the other wanted to go to bed early because he had an appointment for to-morrow morning. But we must have someone."
"Never fear, I will hide Monsieur Dufresne's hat, and he won't go away without us, I promise you; that would be too much,--to be taken to a party by ladies, and let them go home alone!"
"You know very well, mamma, that it wouldn't be the first time that such a thing had happened to us."
"Never mind, Cleopatra, it won't be so to-night, and Monsieur Dufresne will pay for the cab."
While the ladies were conversing, Dufresne continued his observations. He had noticed that Madame Germeuil was on very intimate terms with a young widow named Madame Dolban; thereafter this Madame Dolban became the object of Dufresne's attentions, and he easily succeeded in making her acquaintance; for the widow was not at all pretty, and the homage of an attractive man was certain to seem all the more flattering to her because she rarely received anything of the sort.
When Dufresne wished to go, he fell into the trap which Madame Devaux had set for him: he did not find his hat until the moment when the mother and her three daughters were ready to go. It was impossible for him to avoid the duty. Moreover, Madame Dolban had refused his escort; but she had given him permission to call and pay her his respects, and that was all that he wanted. So the young man performed with sufficient good grace the service which was expected of him; he packed the Devaux family into a cab, seated himself on the front seat between Cleopatra and Césarine, and they started for Rue des Martyrs.