say nothing of my poor Frantz, who loved her so. But, no, she
preferred her old Risler. And it came about so strangely. For a long time
I noticed that she was sad, greatly changed. I felt sure there was some
disappointment in love at the bottom of it. Her mother and I looked
about, and we cudgelled our brains to find out what it could be. One
morning Madame Chebe came into my room weeping, and said, 'You are the
man she loves, my dear friend!'--And I was the man--I was the man! Bless
my soul! Whoever would have suspected such a thing? And to think that in
the same year I had those two great pieces of good fortune--a partnership
in the house of Fromont and married to Sidonie--Oh!"

At that moment, to the strains of a giddy, languishing waltz, a couple
whirled into the small salon. They were Risler's bride and his partner,
Georges Fromont. Equally young and attractive, they were talking in
undertones, confining their words within the narrow circle of the waltz.

"You lie!" said Sidonie, slightly pale, but with the same little smile.

And the other, paler than she, replied:

"I do not lie. It was my uncle who insisted upon this marriage. He was
dying--you had gone away. I dared not say no."

Risler, at a distance, gazed at them in admiration.

"How pretty she is! How well they dance!"

But, when they spied him, the dancers separated, and Sidonie walked
quickly to him.

"What! You here? What are you doing? They are looking everywhere for you.
Why aren't you in there?"

As she spoke she retied his cravat with a pretty, impatient gesture. That
enchanted Risler, who smiled at Sigismond from the corner of his eye, too
overjoyed at feeling the touch of that little gloved hand on his neck, to
notice that she was trembling to the ends of her slender fingers.

"Give me your arm," she said to him, and they returned together to the
salons. The white bridal gown with its long train made the badly cut,
awkwardly worn black coat appear even more uncouth; but a coat can not be
retied like a cravat; she must needs take it as it was. As they passed
along, returning the salutations of all the guests who were so eager to
smile upon them, Sidonie had a momentary thrill of pride, of satisfied
vanity. Unhappily it did not last. In a corner of the room sat a young
and attractive woman whom nobody invited to dance, but who looked on at
the dances with a placid eye, illumined by all the joy of a first
maternity. As soon as he saw her, Ri