had heard what had been said； 〃I will give you a thousand crowns for
an exampleyes； by the Powers！ I will shell out to the tune of a
thousand crowns！〃
〃Shell out！ What does that mean？〃 asked Beauvisage of Claude Vignon。
〃Madame must do me the honor to sit for it then；〃 said Steinbock to
Crevel。 〃Ask her〃
At this moment Valerie herself brought Steinbock a cup of tea。 This
was more than a compliment； it was a favor。 There is a complete
language in the manner in which a woman does this little civility； but
women are fully aware of the fact； and it is a curious thing to study
their movements； their manner； their look； tone； and accent when they
perform this apparently simple act of politeness。From the question；
〃Do you take tea？〃〃Will you have some tea？〃〃A cup of tea？〃 coldly
asked； and followed by instructions to the nymph of the urn to bring
it； to the eloquent poem of the odalisque coming from the tea…table；
cup in hand； towards the pasha of her heart； presenting it
submissively； offering it in an insinuating voice； with a look full of
intoxicating promises； a physiologist could deduce the whole scale of
feminine emotion； from aversion or indifference to Phaedra's
declaration to Hippolytus。 Women can make it； at will； contemptuous to
the verge of insult； or humble to the expression of Oriental
servility。
And Valerie was more than woman； she was the serpent made woman； she
crowned her diabolical work by going up to Steinbock； a cup of tea in
her hand。
〃I will drink as many cups of tea as you will give me；〃 said the
artist； murmuring in her ear as he rose； and touching her fingers with
his； 〃to have them given to me thus！〃
〃What were you saying about sitting？〃 said she； without betraying that
this declaration； so frantically desired； had gone straight to her
heart。
〃Old Crevel promises me a thousand crowns for a copy of your group。〃
〃He！ a thousand crowns for a bronze group？〃
〃Yesif you will sit for Delilah；〃 said Steinbock。
〃He will not be there to see； I hope！〃 replied she。 〃The group would
be worth more than all his fortune； for Delilah's costume is rather
un…dressy。〃
Just as Crevel loved to strike an attitude； every woman has a
victorious gesture； a studied movement； which she knows must win
admiration。 You may see in a drawing…room how one spends all her time
looking down at her tucker or pulling up the shoulder…piece of her
gown； how another makes play with the brightness of her eyes by
glancing up at the cornice。 Madame Marneffe's triumph； however； was
not face to face like that of other women。 She turned sharply round to
return to Lisbeth at the tea…table。 This ballet…dancer's pirouette；
whisking her skirts； by which she had overthrown Hulot； now fascinated
Steinbock。
〃Your vengeance is secure；〃 said Valerie to Lisbeth in a whisper。
〃Hortense will cry out all her tears； and curse the day when she
robbed you of Wenceslas。〃
〃Till I am Madame la Marechale I shall not think myself successful；〃
replied the cousin； 〃but they are all beginning to wish for it。This
morning I went to Victorin'sI forgot to tell you。The young Hulots
have bought up their father's notes of hand given to Vauvinet； and
to…morrow they will endorse a bill for seventy…two thousand francs at
five per cent； payable in three years； and secured by a mortgage on
their house。 So the young people are in straits for three years； they
can raise no more money on that property。 Victorin is dreadfully
distressed； he understands his father。 And Crevel is capable of
refusing to see them； he will be so angry at this piece of self…
sacrifice。〃
〃The Baron cannot have a sou now；〃 said Valerie； and she smiled at
Hulot。
〃I don't see where he can get it。 But he will draw his salary again in
September。〃
〃And he has his policy of insurance； he has renewed it。 Come； it is
high time he should get Marneffe promoted。 I will drive it home this
evening。〃
〃My dear cousin；〃 said Lisbeth to Wenceslas； 〃go home； I beg。 You are
quite ridiculous。 Your eyes are fixed on Valerie in a way that is
enough to compromise her； and her husband is insanely jealous。 Do not
tread in your father…in…law's footsteps。 Go home； I am sure Hortense
is sitting up for you。〃
〃Madame Marneffe told me to stay till the last to settle my little
business with you and her；〃 replied Wenceslas。
〃No； no；〃 said Lisbeth； 〃I will bring you the ten thousand francs； for
her husband has his eye on you。 It would be rash to remain。 To…morrow
at eleven o'clock bring your note of hand； at that hour that mandarin
Marneffe is at his office； Valerie is free。Have you really asked her
to sit for your group？Come up to my rooms first。Ah！ I was sure of
it；〃 she added； as she caught the look which Steinbock flashed at
Valerie； 〃I knew you were a profligate in the bud！ Well； Valerie is
lovelybut try not to bring trouble on Hortense。〃
Nothing annoys a married man so much as finding his wife perpetually
interposing between himself and his wishes； however transient。
Wenceslas got home at about one in the morning； Hortense had expected
him ever since half…past nine。 From half…past nine till ten she had
listened to the passing carriages； telling herself that never before
had her husband come in so late from dining with Florent and Chanor。
She sat sewing by the child's cot； for she had begun to save a
needlewoman's pay for the day by doing the mending herself。From ten
till half…past； a suspicion crossed her mind； she sat wondering：
〃Is he really gone to dinner； as he told me； with Chanor and Florent？
He put on his best cravat and his handsomest pin when he dressed。 He
took as long over his toilet as a woman when she wants to make the
best of herself。I am crazy！ He loves me！And here he is！〃
But instead of stopping； the cab she heard went past。
From eleven till midnight Hortense was a victim to terrible alarms；
the quarter where they lived was now deserted。
〃If he has set out on foot； some accident may have happened；〃 thought
she。 〃A man may be killed by tumbling over a curbstone or failing to
see a gap。 Artists are so heedless！ Or if he should have been stopped
by robbers！It is the first time he has ever left me alone here for
six hours and a half！But why should I worry myself？ He cares for no
one but me。〃
Men ought to be faithful to the wives who love them； were it only on
account of the perpetual miracles wrought by true love in the sublime
regions of the spiritual world。 The woman who loves is； in relation to
the man she loves； in the position of a somnambulist to whom the
magnetizer should give the painful power； when she ceases to be the
mirror of the world； of being conscious as a woman of what she has
seen as a somnambulist。 Passion raises the nervous tension of a woman
to the ecstatic pitch at which presentiment is as acute as the insight
of a clairvoyant。 A wife knows she is betrayed； she will not let
herself say so； she doubts stillshe loves so much！ She gives the lie
to the outcry of her own Pythian power。 This paroxysm of love deserves
a special form of worship。
In noble souls； admiration of this divine phenomenon will always be a
safeguard to protect them from infidelity。 How should a man not
worship a beautiful and intellectual creature whose soul can soar to
such manifestations？
By one in the morning Hortense was in a state of such intense anguish；
that she flew to the door as she recognized her husband's ring at the
bell； and clasped him in her arms like a mother。
〃At lasthere you are！〃 cried she； finding her voice again。 〃My
dearest； henceforth where you go I go； for I cannot again endure the
torture of such waiting。I pictured you stumbling over a curbstone；
with a fractured skull！ Killed by thieves！No； a second time I know I
should go mad。Have you enjoyed yourself so much？And without me！
Bad boy！〃
〃What can I say； my darling？ There was Bixiou； who drew fresh
caricatures for us； Leon de Lora； as witty as ever； Claude Vignon； to
whom I owe the only consolatory article that has come out about the
Montcornet statue。 There were〃
〃Were there no ladies？〃 Hortense eagerly inquired。
〃Worthy Madame Florent〃
〃You said the Rocher de Cancale。Were you at the Florents'？〃
〃Yes； at their house； I made a mistake。〃
〃You did not take a coach to come home？〃
〃No。〃
〃And you have walked from the Rue des Tournelles？〃
〃Stidmann and Bixiou came back with me along the boulevards as far as
the Madeleine； talking all the way。〃
〃It is dry then on the boulevards and the Place de la Concorde and the
Rue de Bourgogne？ You are not muddy at all！〃 said Hortense； looking at
her husband's patent leather boots。
It had been raining； but between the Rue Vanneau and the Rue Saint…
Dominique Wenceslas had not got his boots soiled。
〃Herehere are five thousand francs Chanor has been so generous as to
lend me；〃 said Wenceslas； to cut short this lawyer…like examination。
He had made a division of the ten thousand…franc notes； half for
Hortense and half for himself； for he had five thousand francs' worth
of debts of which Hortense knew nothing。 He owed money to his foreman
and his workmen。
〃Now your anxieties are relieved；〃 said he； kissing his wife。 〃