rom him, and all that he had concealed from himself appeared
before him as he perceived the Marquis installed in the house, as a
betrothed lover!

He understood, in a transport of exasperation, all that which he would
rather not have known and all that the Countess had not dared to tell
him. He did not ask himself why all those preparations for marriage had
been concealed from him. He guessed it, and his eyes, growing hard, met
those of the Countess, who blushed. They understood each other.

When he was seated, everyone was silent for a few seconds, his
unexpected entrance having paralyzed their flow of spirits; then the
Duchess began to speak to him, and he replied in a brief manner, his
voice suddenly changed.

He looked around at these people who were now chatting again, and said
to himself: "They are making game of me. They shall pay for it." He
was especially vexed with the Countess and Annette, whose innocent
dissimulation he suddenly understood.

"Oh, oh! it is time to go," exclaimed the Count, looking at the clock.
Turning to the painter, he added: "We are going to the opening of
Parliament. My wife will remain here, however. Will you accompany us? It
would give me great pleasure."

"No, thanks," replied Olivier drily. "Your Chamber does not tempt me."

Annette approached in a playful way, saying: "Oh, do come, dear master!
I am sure that you would amuse us much more than the deputies."

"No, indeed. You will amuse yourself very well without me."

Seeing him discontented and chagrined, she insisted, to show that she
felt kindly toward him.

"Yes, come, sir painter! I assure you that as for myself I cannot do
without you."

His next words escaped him so quickly that he could nether check them as
he spoke nor soften their tone:

"Bah! You do well enough without me, just as everyone else does!"

A little surprised at his tone, she exclaimed: "Come, now! Here he is
beginning again to leave off his 'tu' to me!"

His lips were curled in one of those smiles that reveal the suffering of
a soul, and he said with a slight bow: "It will be necessary for me to
accustom myself to it one day or another."

"Why, pray?"

"Because you will marry, and your husband, whoever he may be, would have
the right to find that word rather out of place coming from me."

"It will be time enough then to think about that," the Countess hastened
to say. "But I trust that Annette will not marry a man so susceptible as
to obje