"My wife took me with her to one of our estates; it was very dull; there were only we two, and we had no visitors; for we didn't tell anybody where we were going, we went off all of a sudden, as if we were ashamed of it. But still, when something has happened to afflict one--you understand--and my wife certainly had good cause for tears in----" Madame Plays pinched her husband's arm, and whispered: "Hush! that's enough; hush! Who asked you to say that?" Monsieur Plays held his peace, and pretended to have a paroxysm of coughing as an excuse for not finishing his sentence. Monsieur Grazcernitz took the fair Herminie's hand and led her to a seat on a divan, with divers other ladies, with whom she soon entered into conversation. But after a few seconds, the lady at the robust creature's right rose and walked into another salon; in a short time, the lady at her left likewise rose and vanished, and the fair Herminie was left alone on the divan. Thereupon several young men approached her and favored her with an assortment of the insipid, commonplace flatteries of which such a prodigious supply is ordinarily consumed in fashionable salons. A young man who had talked with Madame Plays a few minutes left her abruptly, and observed to one of his friends: "That's a most extraordinary thing; I can't understand it." "What do you mean?" "You see that lady over there, with whom I was talking just now?" "Madame Plays?" "Yes. Well, my dear fellow, I can't imagine what kind of perfume she has about her, but it's absolutely insufferable." "The deuce you say!" "It's like the smell of stale tobacco; it's perfectly sickening." "Impossible." "Look! there's Alfred leaving her now; let's see what he says.--Alfred!" "What is it?" "You were just talking with Madame Plays; did you smell anything?" "Oh! parbleu! that was what made me leave her. I like to smoke a cigar, but a lady who smells like a guardhouse isn't at all agreeable. She must chew! that's the only explanation." "She probably adopted the habit in her retirement." "We must go and ask her husband." "Oh, no! I should never dare." "It's evident that you don't know Monsieur Plays! I'll bet you that I dare. Follow me, without making it apparent, and you'll see." The young man who had spoken last walked up to Monsieur Plays, whom he discovered in an adjoining room, standing near a whist table and watching the game with close attention. "Well, Monsieur Plays," said the young man, bowing to him, "you seem to be much engrossed by the game?" "Yes; I am watching it rather closely." "Are you studying the fine points of whist?" "I study everything." "You must be a fine whist player." "On the contrary, I don't understand the game yet; for ten years, I've been watching it; but I hope that, by dint of watching, I shall learn it finally. My wife absolutely insists on my learning it; that is why I never lose a chance to look on."