alais. Manicamp stood bolt upright, and
assumed a very ceremonious demeanor. The guitar player thrust his
instrument under a table, covering it with a piece of carpet to conceal
it from the prince's observation. Madame was the only one who did
not move, and smiling at her husband, said, "Is not this the hour you
usually devote to your toilette?"

"An hour which others select, it seems, for amusing themselves," replied
the prince, grumblingly.

This untoward remark was the signal for a general rout; the women fled
like a flock of terrified starlings; the guitar player vanished like a
shadow; Malicorne, still protected by Montalais, who purposely widened
out her dress, glided behind the hanging tapestry. As for Manicamp, he
went to the assistance of De Guiche, who naturally remained near Madame,
and both of them, with the princess herself, courageously sustained the
attack. The count was too happy to bear malice against the husband;
but Monsieur bore a grudge against his wife. Nothing was wanting but a
quarrel; he sought it, and the hurried departure of the crowd, which had
been so joyous before he arrived, and was so disturbed by his entrance,
furnished him with a pretext.

"Why do they run away at the very sight of me?" he inquired, in a
supercilious tone; to which remark Madame replied, that, "whenever the
master of the house made his appearance, the family kept aloof out of
respect." As she said this, she made so funny and so pretty a grimace,
that De Guiche and Manicamp could not control themselves; they burst
into a peal of laugher; Madame followed their example, and even Monsieur
himself could not resist it, and he was obliged to sit down, as, for
laughing, he could scarcely keep his equilibrium. However, he very soon
left off, but his anger had increased. He was still more furious because
he had permitted himself to laugh, than from having seen others laugh.
He looked at Manicamp steadily, not venturing to show his anger towards
De Guiche; but, at a sign which displayed no little amount of annoyance,
Manicamp and De Guiche left the room, so that Madame, left alone,
began sadly to pick up her pearls and amethysts, no longer smiling, and
speaking still less.

"I am very happy," said the duke, "to find myself treated as a stranger
here, Madame," and he left the room in a passion. On his way out, he met
Montalais, who was in attendance in the ante-room. "It is very agreeable
to pay you a visit here, but outside th