his affection for Mme. de Marelle had increased
during the summer. They were both Bohemians by nature; they took
excursions together to Argenteuil, Bougival, Maisons, and Poissy, and
when he was forced to return and dine at Mme. Walter's, he detested his
mature mistress more thoroughly, as he recalled the youthful one he had
just left. He was congratulating himself upon having freed himself
almost entirely from the former's clutches, when he received the
telegram above mentioned.

He re-read it as he walked along. He thought: "What does that old owl
want with me? I am certain she has nothing to tell me except that she
adores me. However, I will see, perhaps there is some truth in it.
Clotilde is coming at four, I must get rid of the other one at three or
soon after, provided they do not meet. What jades women are!"

As he uttered those words he was reminded of his wife, who was the only
one who did not torment him; she lived by his side and seemed to love
him very much at the proper time, for she never permitted anything to
interfere with her ordinary occupations of life. He strolled toward the
appointed place of meeting, mentally cursing Mme. Walter.

"Ah, I will receive her in such a manner that she will not tell me
anything. First of all, I will give her to understand that I shall
never cross her threshold again."

He entered to await her. She soon arrived and, seeing him, exclaimed:
"Ah, you received my dispatch! How fortunate!"

"Yes, I received it at the office just as I was setting out for the
Chamber. What do you want?" he asked ungraciously.

She had raised her veil in order to kiss him, and approached him
timidly and humbly with the air of a beaten dog.

"How unkind you are to me; how harshly you speak! What have I done to
you? You do not know what I have suffered for you!"

He muttered: "Are you going to begin that again?"

She stood near him awaiting a smile, a word of encouragement, to cast
herself into his arms, and whispered: "You need not have won me to
treat me thus; you might have left me virtuous and happy. Do you
remember what you said to me in the church and how you forced me to
enter this house? And now this is the way you speak to me, receive me!
My God, my God, how you maltreat me!"

He stamped his foot and said violently: "Enough, be silent! I can never
see you a moment without hearing that refrain. You were mature when you
gave yourself to me. I am much obliged to you; I am infinite