whole afternoon, and what was most
significant in the matter was, that he no longer prevented me from going
out. And I, I was out of doors nearly the whole day long, ... in order
... in order to leave him at liberty.

"On the ninth day, while Rose was undressing me, she said to me with a
timid air: 'It happened this morning, Madame.' I was rather surprised,
or rather overcome even, not at the part itself, but at the way in which
she told me, and I stammered out: 'And ... and ... it went off well?'
'Oh! yes, very well, Madame. For the last three days he has been
pressing me, but I did not wish matters to proceed too quickly. You will
tell me when you want us to be caught, Madame.' 'Yes, certainly.
Here!... let us say Thursday.' 'Very well, Madame, I shall grant nothing
more until then, so as to keep Monsieur on the alert.' 'You are sure not
to fail?' 'Oh! quite sure, Madame. I will excite him, so as to make him
be there at the very moment which you may appoint.' 'Let us say five
o'clock, then.' 'Very well, Madame, and where?' 'Well ... in my
bedroom.' 'Very good, Madame, in your bedroom.'

"You will understand what I did then, my dear. I went and fetched Mamma
and Papa first of all, and then my uncle d'Orvelin, the President, and
Monsieur Raplet, the Judge, my husband's friend. I had not told them
what I was going to show them, but I made them all go on tiptoe as far
as the door of my room. I waited until five o'clock exactly, and oh! how
my heart beat! I had made the porter come upstairs as well, so as to
have an additional witness! And then ... and then at the moment when the
clock began to strike, I opened the door wide.... Ah! ah! ah! Here he
was evidently, ... it was quite evident, my dear.... Oh! what a face!...
if you had only seen his face!... And he turned round, the idiot! Oh!
how funny he looked.... I laughed, I laughed.... And papa was angry and
wanted to give my husband a beating.... And the porter, a good servant,
helped him to dress himself ... before us ... before us.... He buttoned
his braces for him ... what a joke it was!... As for Rose, she was
perfect, absolutely perfect.... She cried ... oh! she cried very well.
She is an invaluable girl.... If you ever want her, don't forget!

"And here I am.... I came immediately to tell you of the affair ...
directly. I am free. Long live divorce!"

And she began to dance in the middle of the drawing-room, while the
little baroness, who was thoughtful and vexe