“Oh! I am well aware that you no longer stay with me.” “That is necessary; I must show myself in society; that is the place where a man makes acquaintances.” “Disastrous ones, sometimes!” “Oh! mon Dieu! I am not a child; I know with whom I am dealing! Why, to hear you and your mother talk, anyone would think that I am not capable of taking care of myself. “I never said that, my dear; but I cannot help regretting the time when I alone was sufficient for your enjoyment; then you passed all your time with me,--you did not go into society.--Well! were you not happy?” “To be sure I was.” “Then why have you changed your mode of life?” “Why? why? That is a strange question to ask me! a man cannot always be making love to his wife, can he?” “Oh! I have discovered that! But I did not expect to learn it after only a year of married life.” “Well, well! are you going to begin your reproaches again? Women are never reasonable.” “I am not reproaching you, my dear; give parties, as that gives you pleasure; I shall never object.” “You are a love; you are not obstinate like your mother; and I tell you again that this is all for our good. So make the necessary preparations. I have already ordered and arranged everything, and all that you will have to do will be to see that my orders are carried out.” “Very well. But what shall I say to people whom I do not know?” “Oh! don’t let that trouble you! You just bow and smile to every one. With your grace and your wit you will always be fascinating.” “I would like to be fascinating to you alone.” “Do you mean that I am unfaithful to you? I am really so good----” “That some day you will be laughed at for it.” “Never fear, I love you only.--I am going to send a few more invitations; prepare for our party.” Edouard kissed his wife and left her. Adeline, in order to please him, inquired about what was to be done on the following day; she was alarmed at the magnitude of the expense, but it was too late to oppose it. After giving her orders, the young wife went to see her mother. It was on Madame Germeuil’s bosom that she poured out her grief, though she concealed much of it, in order not to make her mother more bitter against her husband. “Oh!” said Adeline, “so long as he is faithful to me, I shall have nothing to complain of. I can forgive him everything except indifference, which I absolutely could not endure.”