It was to her country estate, at Fleury, that the charming Athalie conveyed Auguste and three other gentlemen who had been at her ball. Madame had devised the party while dancing a quadrille, and had determined that they would eat fresh eggs on the grass, while walking through the "ladies' chain." Auguste and the other three young men were invited and they instantly accepted. Madame de la Thomassinière, who displayed no less activity in her amusements than variety in her costumes, issued her orders at once. Her husband alone knew nothing of the excursion; and at eight o'clock in the morning, when the four gentlemen were finally induced to leave the écarté table, madame gave them seats in her calèche, laughing like a madwoman at the idea of abducting thus four cavaliers in full dress. Monsieur de la Thomassinière was in bed, but his valet was instructed to inform him when he woke where he could find madame, in case he should desire to join her. A word or two that Madame Destival had heard during the night had apprised her of the delightful project for the morning; and as she and her husband were not of the party, they returned home in very ill humor. "Always some new form of dissipation!" said Madame Destival, with a bitter smile. "That Madame de la Thomassinière is at her wits' end to invent something that will ruin her husband." "If she only would ruin him!" exclaimed Destival; "but no; that man has the greatest luck! Everything succeeds with him. However, he doesn't shine by his wit, that's sure enough! But he has just made sixty thousand francs in a transaction that I had in view." "Well, monsieur, why didn't you carry it out?" "I hadn't funds enough to buy the debt, madame." "You should borrow, find the money. Really, monsieur, you ought to blush for shame when you see the show of magnificence that that Thomassinière makes, and you do not outshine him. Those people have eight servants, and I have just one wretched maid and an ill-tempered footman who does everything!--I want a lady's maid, monsieur; I insist upon having one!" "Before long, madame, I hope----" "They have a calèche and a landau and a coupé, and we have only a very shabby cabriolet! But monsieur must needs learn to drill, instead of giving his attention to making money!" "I have several affairs under way, madame. If I sell Monin that house----" "Well, come to some conclusion about it, monsieur. I tell you that I can't live like this any longer; I must have two new cashmeres, a lady's maid, a calèche, and a country house where I can give parties; not like that old barrack at Livry, which I can't endure now." "Never fear, madame. I must have a clerk, a man cook, and a negro servant. I am going to venture into some new schemes, and you will see that we will soon crush that miserable parvenu, who murders the language with an assurance that suffocates me."