Madame Giraud walked away from Eugénie with evident displeasure. Eugénie glanced at me with a smile; I had guessed aright the subject of their conversation. The husband and wife met and whispered earnestly together; then they walked toward Madame Dumeillan and surrounded her, one at her right, and the other at her left; she could not escape them. They evidently proposed to try to learn more from Eugénie’s mother; but I knew that they would waste their time, that Madame Dumeillan would tell them nothing; she invented an excuse for leaving them after talking a few moments. Giraud and his wife were very angry. They came toward me again, and I expected that they would hurl epigrams at me and tear me with their claws. I was not mistaken; Madame Giraud began, speaking to her husband so that I should hear: “It is very amusing, isn’t it, Monsieur Giraud?” “Yes, Madame Giraud, very amusing; there is a great deal of diplomacy here.” “Yes, they make a mystery of something that is everybody’s secret.” “Aha! they evidently take us for fools.” “It seems that way to me.” “Wouldn’t anyone say that it was a question of uniting two great powers?” “Perhaps they are afraid they will have to invite us to the wedding.” “Great heaven! weddings! we have no lack of them; in fact, we have so many that it is fairly sickening.” “I declined an invitation to another to-morrow. And there is poor Bélan who has already invited us to his, which is to be at Lointier’s.” “That young man will make a very good husband. Does he get along all right with Madame de Beausire?” “Oh, yes! since I went to see the mother-in-law, all the obstacles have disappeared. There are some people who aren’t afraid to let me take a hand in their affairs, and who are greatly benefited by it.” “Let us go, Monsieur Giraud; we still have time to go and see our good friends who have that expensive apartment on Rue de la Paix, and whose daughter you found a husband for two months ago.” “You are right; I am sure that they expect us to have a cup of tea.” The husband and wife disappeared without a word to anyone. And those creatures were offended with us because we found it natural and convenient to manage our own affairs! But in society it takes so little to make enemies, especially of narrow-minded people. The guests began to leave, and I found a moment to talk with Eugénie. I told her that my mother would come to see her the next day. She blushed and sighed as she replied: “Suppose she doesn’t like me? suppose she isn’t willing to have me for her daughter?” Not like her! who could fail to like her? I was not at all disturbed. I reassured Eugénie, and I left her at last when the clock so ordered, as I had not as yet the right not to leave her at all.