He replied as he twisted his mustache: 'Eh! the mother is not so bad!'
Madeleine replied: 'I am not afraid of her. At her age one does not begin to make conquests--one should commence sooner.'
Georges thought: 'If I might have had Suzanne, ah!' Then he shrugged his shoulders: 'Bah, it is absurd; her father would not have consented.'
He determined to treat Mme. Walter very considerately in order to retain her regard. All that evening he was haunted by recollections of his love for Clotilde; he recalled their escapades, her kindness. He repeated to himself: 'She is indeed nice. Yes, I shall call upon her to-morrow.'
When he had lunched the following morning he repaired to Rue Verneuil. The same maid opened the door, and with the familiarity of an old servant she asked: 'Is Monsieur well?'
He replied: 'Yes, my child,' and entered the drawing-room in which some one was practising scales. It was Laurine. He expected she would fall upon his neck. She, however, rose ceremoniously, bowed coldly, and left the room with dignity; her manner was so much like that of an outraged woman that he was amazed. Her mother entered. He kissed her hand.
'How much I have thought of you,' said he.
'And I of you,' she replied.
They seated themselves and smiled as they gazed into one another's eyes.
'My dear little Clo, I love you.'
'And I love you.'
'Still--still--you did not miss me.'
'Yes and no. I was grieved, but when I heard your reason, I said to myself: 'Bah, he will return to me some day.''
'I dared not come. I did not know how I should be received. I dared not, but I longed to come. Now, tell me what ails Laurine; she scarcely bade me good morning and left the room with an angry air.'
'I do not know, but one cannot mention you to her since your marriage; I really believe she is jealous.'
'Nonsense.'
'Yes, my dear, she no longer calls you Bel-Ami, but M. Forestier instead.'
Du Roy colored, then drawing nearer the young woman, he said: 'Kiss me.'
She obeyed him.
'Where can we meet again?' he asked.
'At Rue de Constantinople.'
'Ah, are the apartments not rented?'
'No, I kept them.'
'You did?'
'Yes, I thought you would return.'
His heart bounded joyfully. She loved him then with a lasting love! He whispered: 'I adore you.' Then he asked: 'Is your husband well?'
'Yes, very well. He has just been home for a month; he went away the day before yesterday.'
Du Roy could not suppress a smile: 'How opportunely that always happens!'
She replied naively: 'Yes, it happens opportunely, but he is not in the way when he is here; is he?'
'That is true; he is a charming man!'
'How do you like your new life?'
'Tolerably; my wife is a comrade, an associate, nothing more; as for my heart--'
'I understand; but she is good.'
'Yes, she does not trouble me.'
He drew near Clotilde and murmured: 'When shall we meet again?'
'To-morrow, if you will.'
'Yes, to-morrow at two o'clock.'
He rose to take his leave somewhat embarrassed.
'You know I intend to take back the rooms on Rue de Constantinople myself. I wish to; it is not necessary for you to pay for them.'
She kissed his hands, saying: 'You may do as you like. I am satisfied to have kept them until we met again.' And Du Roy took his leave very well satisfied.
When Thursday came, he asked Madeleine: 'Are going to the fencing- match at Rival's?'
'No, I do not care about it. I will go to the chamber of deputies.'
Georges called for Mme. Walter in an open carriage, for the weather was delightful. He was surprised to find her looking so handsome and so young. Never had she appeared so fresh. Her daughter, Suzanne, was dressed in pink; her sister looked like her governess. At Rival's door was a long line of carriages. Du Roy offered his arm to Mme. Walter and they entered.
The entertainment was for the benefit of the orphans of the Sixth Ward under the patronage of all the wiles of the senators and deputies who were connected with 'La Vie Francaise.'
Jacques Rival received the arrivals at the entrance to his apartments, then he pointed to a small staircase which led to the cellar in which were his shooting-gallery and fencing-room, saying: 'Downstairs, ladies, downstairs. The match will take place in the subterranean apartments.'
Pressing Du Roy's hand, he said: 'Good evening, Bel-Ami.'
Du Roy was surprised: 'Who told you about that name?'
Rival replied: 'Mme. Walter, who thinks it very pretty.'
Mme. Walter blushed.
'Yes, I confess that if I knew you better, I should do as little Laurine, and I should call you Bel-Ami, too. It suits you admirably.'
Du Roy laughed. 'I beg you to do so, Madame.'
She cast down her eyes. 'No, we are not well enough acquainted.'
He murmured: 'Permit me to hope that we shall become so.'
'Well, we shall see,' said she.
They descended the stairs and entered a large room, which was lighted by Venetian lanterns and decorated with festoons of gauze. Nearly all the benches were filled with ladies, who were chatting as if they were at a theater. Mme. Walter and her daughters reached their seats in the front row.
Du Roy, having obtained their places for them, whispered: 'I shall be obliged to leave you; men cannot occupy the seats.'
Mme. Walter replied hesitatingly: 'I should like to keep you, just the same. You could tell me the names of the participants. See, if you stand at the end of the seat, you will not annoy anyone.' She raised her large, soft eyes to his and insisted: 'Come, stay with us--Bel-Ami--we need you!'
He replied: 'I obey with pleasure, Madame!'
Suddenly Jacques Rival's voice announced: 'We will begin, ladies.'
Then followed the fencing-match. Du Roy retained his place beside the ladies and gave them all the necessary information. When the entertainment was over and all expenses were paid, two hundred and twenty francs remained for the orphans of the Sixth Ward.
Du Roy, escorting the Walters, awaited his carriage. When seated face to face with Mme. Walter, he met her troubled but caressing glance.
'Egad, I believe she is affected,' thought he; and he smiled as he recognized the fact that he was really successful with the female sex, for Mme. de Marelle, since the renewal of their relations, seemed to love him madly.
With a light heart he returned home. Madeleine was awaiting him in the drawing-room.
'I have some news,' said she. 'The affair with Morocco is becoming complicated. France may send an expedition out there in several months. In any case the ministry will be overthrown and Laroche will profit by the occasion.'
Du Roy, in order to draw out his wife, pretended not to believe it. 'France would not be silly enough to commence any folly with Tunis!'
She shrugged her shoulders impatiently. 'I tell you she will! You do not understand that it is a question of
