“Oh! you did so many things when you were a bachelor! You had so many mistresses!” “A very good reason why I did not need to turn to somebody’s else, who would not have listened to me if I had.” “You may very well have known Mademoiselle Marguerite before she knew her Monsieur Ernest, as you were her neighbor.” “If I had dreamed that you would imagine all this, I would not have mentioned Ernest or his wife.” “His wife! She isn’t his wife.” “It is practically the same thing, as they live together.” “Such people are always very queer, and that woman would not be received in decent society.” “Queer! What foolish prejudices! People in what is called good society won’t receive a woman who has lived a long time with the only man whom she ever loved; whose only care, whose only glory consists in making him happy; who goes out with no one but him, adorns herself for no one else, knows no pleasure without him; but they will welcome and make much of the woman who ruins her husband by extravagance, who does not even take the trouble to conceal her love-affairs, who goes about with no one but her cicisbeo. And all because those women are married, forsooth! Upon my word, it does great honor to society!” “Mon Dieu! how you flare up, monsieur!” “Because I cannot tolerate injustice, and because this particular injustice is often perpetrated in society. For my own part, I tell you that I shall always rise above such prejudices, and that I should be very glad to welcome Ernest and his wife at my house.” “I thank you, monsieur, but I trust that you will not do so.” “If you knew them, I am sure that you would not talk like this.” “I have no desire to make their acquaintance; it is quite enough for you to be Mademoiselle Marguerite’s intimate friend.” “Great heaven! how absurdly you talk, Eugénie!” “And she used to live in this house?” “To be sure.” “I am no longer surprised that you are so attached to your apartment.” I angrily threw down my knife and fork and rose from the table, saying: “Let us talk no more about it, for you will end with making me angry too. Are you ready? It is time to go to the theatre.” “I don’t want to go.” “And this morning you were looking forward to it. What is the meaning of this new whim?” “It isn’t a whim; I don’t care about going to the theatre; I don’t want to go out.” “As you please. Then I will go without you.” I took my hat and went out, closing the door rather violently. One absolutely must vent one’s ill humor on something. I was really distressed. That was the first quarrel I had had with my wife. It pained me all the more because I knew that I was not in the wrong; and when a person feels that he deserves neither reproof nor blame, he is doubly incensed with those who reprove or blame him.