"You are more or less right; that game makes savages of people--ferocious savages, I may say. Whist enthusiasts close the door when there is singing in the next room. I verily believe, that, if you told them the house was burning down, they'd insist on finishing their _rub_ before making their escape." "You see that it would be very unkind of me to sing." "Pardon me, I am not playing; and what do you care if----" "Monsieur de la Beriniere, in the name of your ancestors, come and show Monsieur Batonnin how to play; it's very important! We are playing the rub, and I don't want to lose it through my partner's misplay." "That Madame de Mirallon is a terrible creature, really! Ah! when women grow old, they gain in exactingness what they lose in attractions; and the compensation isn't sufficient." Having indulged in this muttered reflection, the count returned to his station behind Monsieur Batonnin; and Madame de Mirallon bestowed a long and searching glance upon him as she said: "It's very hard to keep you, now!" And the _word_ now brought a smile to the lips of Monsieur Clairval, who said to his partner: "Come, Monsieur de Raincy, we must stand to our guns; we are playing against three." XX A NEWLY MARRIED PAIR Adolphine left the piano and sat down beside her sister. "I am sure that you are annoyed, Fanny, because your husband doesn't come home." "I? Mon Dieu! I wasn't thinking about him at all. If he stays away, it is probably because he has business to attend to. You don't understand business, you see, Adolphine; you don't know that, if you want to make a lot of money, you must sometimes deprive yourself of a little pleasure." "No, it's true, I don't understand money matters; but I thought that two people just married could not be happy apart, that they must be horribly bored when they're not together." "Oh! my dear girl, there's reason in everything. And then, we have plenty of time to be together." "Still, when you marry for love--and Monsieur Monleard certainly seemed to be in love with you---- Is that all over already?" "Why--no--but when two people are once married, they're no longer like two lovers. You'll find that out some day, my little sister! I still call you little, although you're taller than I." "Ah! I know that I could never love as placidly as you do!--I was afraid that your husband might be angry with you on account of that duel." "Auguste has too much good sense and breeding to charge me with the folly and extravagance of another, as a crime. It's not my fault that another man was in love with me!" "Oh! that poor Gustave! He did love you so dearly!" "Oh, yes! I advise you to pity him! He behaved nobly, didn't he? To go shouting jeremiads in the street, and end by sending someone to fight in his place! Fie! it was shameful!"