“The artilleryman was enraged at being disturbed; I could not find excuses enough; he blackguarded me, and while the damsel was readjusting her neckerchief, he rushed at me, seized me by the shoulder and pushed me out of the room, saying that he would see me again after dessert. You will understand that I had no desire to wait for the artilleryman. Finding myself in the corridor, where there were no other keys on the outside, I began to shout in a stentorian voice: ‘Armide, open the door!’ No one opened the door, and the waiter informed me that, during my controversy with the soldier, the lady had hastily left with her escort. But where had she gone? That was what no one could tell me. I returned home; I found no one there but my mother-in-law, who called me a visionary; and that night, at the first words that I said to my wife, she locked herself into her room and refused to admit me. That is my situation, my friend; I dreamed again of George Dandin, and I hurried here this morning to tell you about it.” Bélan ceased to speak. I was still tempted to laugh, but I restrained myself. “In all this that you have told me,” I said to him, “there are presumptions, but no proofs.” “Ah! for us fellows, my dear Blémont, who have had so many adventures, who know all about such things, they are quite as good as proofs.” “The waiter may have been mistaken; perhaps it wasn’t the marquis; you didn’t see him, did you?” “No, for they had gone, and I had no desire to wait for the artilleryman.” “You did not act shrewdly.” “That is true, I was a perfect donkey; I lost my head.” “You must distrust appearances, my poor Bélan; I am better able than anybody to tell you that.” “The deuce! do you mean that you have had suspicions about madame?” “I? Oh no! never! but she had suspicions about me, and very ill-founded ones too, I promise you.” “The deuce! suppose I was wrong! What do you advise me to do?” “Wait, keep your eyes open, and watch, but with prudence; or else frankly ask your wife to explain her conduct yesterday; perhaps it was all very simple and innocent.” “In fact, that is quite possible. The one thing that is certain is that I acted like a child. Dear Blémont, you calm my passions. After all, just because a young man comes often to one’s house, and is attentive to one’s wife, that doesn’t prove--for you yourself are not jealous of Monsieur Dulac, who is always at your house, and who often acts as escort to your wife. My mother-in-law was talking about it only the other day to my wife.” “Indeed! those ladies were talking about me, eh?”