...?"

He was very pale and calm and replied: "I say nothing, my dear. I am
simply repeating what Julie said to me, as you wanted to know what it
was, and I wish you to remark that I turned her off just on account of
what she said."

She trembled with a violent longing to tear out his beard and scratch
his face. In his voice and manner she felt that he was asserting his
position as master, although she had nothing to say by way of reply, and
she tried to assume the offensive, by saying something unpleasant: "I
suppose you have had dinner?" she asked.

"No, I waited for you." She shrugged her shoulders impatiently. "It is
very stupid of you to wait after half past seven," she said. "You might
have guessed that I was detained, that I had a good many things to do,
visits and shopping."

And then suddenly, she felt that she wanted to explain how she had spent
her time, and she told him in abrupt, haughty words, that having to buy
some furniture in a shop a long distance off, very far off, in the _Rue
de Rennes_, she had met Limousin at past seven o'clock on the _Boulevard
Saint-Germain_, and that then she had gone with him to have something to
eat in a restaurant, as she did not like to go to one by herself,
although she was faint with hunger. That was how she had dined, with
Limousin, if it could be called dining, for they had only had some soup
and half a fowl, as they were in a great hurry to get back, and Parent
replied simply: "Well, you were quite right. I am not finding fault with
you."

Then Limousin, who had not spoken till then, and who had been half
hidden behind Henriette, came forward, and put out his hand, saying:
"Are you very well?" Parent took his hand, and shaking it gently,
replied: "Yes, I am very well." But the young woman had felt a reproach
in her husband's last words. "Finding fault! ... Why do you speak of
finding fault? ... One might think that you meant to imply something."
"Not at all," he replied, by way of excuse. "I simply meant, that I was
not at all anxious although you were late, and that I did not find fault
with you for it." She, however, took the high hand, and tried to find a
pretext for a quarrel. "Although I was late? ... One might really think
that it was one o'clock in the morning, and that I spent my nights away
from home." "Certainly not, my dear. I said _late_, because I could find
no other word. You said you should be back at half past six, and you
returned at half past ei