king a cup of tea with Madame Angelin, who had come back with her from
the Rue de Miromesnil. Beauchene's unexpected arrival on the scene had
disagreeably interrupted their private converse. He had returned from
one of the debauches in which he so frequently indulged under the
pretext of making a short business journey, and, still slightly
intoxicated, with feverish, sunken eyes and clammy tongue, he was
wearying the two women with his impudent, noisy falsehoods.

"Ah! my dear fellow!" he exclaimed on seeing Mathieu, "I was just
telling the ladies of my return from Amiens--. What wonderful duck pates
they have there!"

Then, on Mathieu speaking to him of Blaise, he launched out into
protestations of friendship. It was understood, the young fellow need
only present himself at the works, and in the first instance he should
be put with Morange, in order that he might learn something of the
business mechanism of the establishment. Thus talking, Beauchene puffed
and coughed and spat, exhaling meantime the odor of tobacco, alcohol,
and musk, which he always brought back from his "sprees," while his wife
smiled affectionately before the others as was her wont, but directed at
him glances full of despair and disgust whenever Madame Angelin turned
her head.

As Beauchene continued talking too much, owning for instance that he did
not know how far the thresher might be from completion, Mathieu
noticed Constance listening anxiously. The idea of Blaise entering the
establishment had already rendered her grave, and now her husband's
apparent ignorance of important business matters distressed her.
Besides, the thought of Norine was reviving in her mind; she remembered
the girl's child, and almost feared some fresh understanding between
Beauchene and Mathieu. All at once, however, she gave a cry of great
relief: "Ah! here is Maurice."

Her son was entering the room--her son, the one and only god on whom she
now set her affection and pride, the crown-prince who to-morrow would
become king, who would save the kingdom from perdition, and who
would exalt her on his right hand in a blaze of glory. She deemed him
handsome, tall, strong, and as invincible in his nineteenth year as
all the knights of the old legends. When he explained that he had just
profitably compromised a worrying transaction in which his father had
rashly embarked, she pictured him repairing disasters and achieving
victories. And she triumphed more than ever on heari