g 'Yes,' while their witnesses were marvelling at the bad
taste of the appointments of the apartment. Once outside, Claude took
Christine's arm again, and that was all.

It was pleasant walking in the clear frosty weather. Thus the party
quietly went back on foot, climbing the Rue des Martyrs to reach the
restaurant on the Boulevard de Clichy. A small private room had been
engaged; the lunch was a very friendly affair, and not a word was
said about the simple formality that had just been gone through; other
subjects were spoken of all the while, as at one of their customary
gatherings.

It was thus that Christine, who in reality was very affected despite
her pretended indifference, heard her husband and his friends excite
themselves for three mortal hours about Mahoudeau's unfortunate statue.
Since the others had been made acquainted with the story, they kept
harping on every particular of it. Sandoz thought the whole thing
very wonderful; Jory and Gagniere discussed the strength of stays and
trusses; the former mainly concerned about the monetary loss involved,
and the other demonstrating with a chair that the statue might have
been kept up. As for Mahoudeau, still very shaky and growing dazed; he
complained of a stiffness which he had not felt before; his limbs began
to hurt him, he had strained his muscles and bruised his skin as if he
had been caught in the embrace of a stone siren. Christine washed the
scratch on his cheek, which had begun to bleed again, and it seemed to
her as if the mutilated bathing girl had sat down to table with them,
as if she alone was of any importance that day; for she alone seemed to
interest Claude, whose narrative, repeated a score of times, was full of
endless particulars about the emotion he had felt on seeing that bosom
and those hips of clay shattered at his feet.

However, at dessert there came a diversion, for Gagniere all at once
remarked to Jory:

'By the way, I saw you with Mathilde the day before yesterday. Yes, yes,
in the Rue Dauphine.'

Jory, who had turned very red, tried to deny it; 'Oh, a mere accidental
meeting--honour bright!' he stammered. 'I don't know where she hangs
out, or I would tell you.'

'What! is it you who are hiding her?' exclaimed Mahoudeau. 'Well, nobody
wants to see her again!'

The truth was that Jory, throwing to the winds all his habits of
prudence and parsimony, was now secretly providing for Mathilde. She had
gained an ascendency over him