f some
women who will forge ingenious pretexts for burying themselves in the
wilderness; but, weary of living in public, and pushed to extremities by
a tyranny which afforded no pleasures sweet enough to compensate for the
heaviness of the yoke, she even thought of Escarbas, and of going to see
her aged father--so much irritated was she by these paltry obstacles.

Chatelet did not believe in such innocence. He lay in wait, and watched
Lucien into the house, and followed a few minutes later, always taking
M. de Chandour, the most indiscreet person in the clique, along with
him; and, putting that gentleman first, hoped to find a surprise by such
perseverance in pursuit of the chance. His own part was a very difficult
one to play, and its success was the more doubtful because he was bound
to appear neutral if he was to prompt the other actors who were to play
in his drama. So, to give himself a countenance, he had attached himself
to the jealous Amelie, the better to lull suspicion in Lucien and in
Mme. de Bargeton, who was not without perspicacity. In order to spy upon
the pair, he had contrived of late to open up a stock controversy on
the point with M. de Chandour. Chatelet said that Mme. de Bargeton was
simply amusing herself with Lucien; she was too proud, too high-born, to
stoop to the apothecary's son. The role of incredulity was in accordance
with the plan which he had laid down, for he wished to appear as Mme.
de Bargeton's champion. Stanislas de Chandour held that Mme. de Bargeton
had not been cruel to her lover, and Amelie goaded them to argument,
for she longed to know the truth. Each stated his case, and (as not
unfrequently happens in small country towns) some intimate friends
of the house dropped in in the middle of the argument. Stanislas
and Chatelet vied with each other in backing up their opinions by
observations extremely pertinent. It was hardly to be expected that the
champions should not seek to enlist partisans. "What do you yourself
think?" they asked, each of his neighbor. These polemics kept Mme. de
Bargeton and Lucien well in sight.

At length one day Chatelet called attention to the fact that whenever he
went with M. de Chandour to Mme. de Bargeton's and found Lucien there,
there was not a sign nor a trace of anything suspicious; the boudoir
door stood open, the servants came and went, there was nothing
mysterious to betray the sweet crime of love, and so forth and so
forth. Stanislas, who did