guests might do what they liked; she despised them too much
to come back among them.

No, she never would, never. They might tear her in pieces before she
would leave her room!

"I ought to have had my suspicions," she resumed.

"It's that cat of a Rose who's got the plot up! I'm certain Rose'll have
stopped that respectable woman coming whom I was expecting tonight."

She referred to Mme Robert. Vandeuvres gave her his word of honor that
Mme Robert had given a spontaneous refusal. He listened and he argued
with much gravity, for he was well accustomed to similar scenes and knew
how women in such a state ought to be treated. But the moment he tried
to take hold of her hands in order to lift her up from her chair and
draw her away with him she struggled free of his clasp, and her wrath
redoubled. Now, just look at that! They would never get her to believe
that Fauchery had not put the Count Muffat off coming! A regular snake
was that Fauchery, an envious sort, a fellow capable of growing mad
against a woman and of destroying her whole happiness. For she knew
this--the count had become madly devoted to her! She could have had him!

"Him, my dear, never!" cried Vandeuvres, forgetting himself and laughing
loud.

"Why not?" she asked, looking serious and slightly sobered.

"Because he's thoroughly in the hands of the priests, and if he were
only to touch you with the tips of his fingers he would go and confess
it the day after. Now listen to a bit of good advice. Don't let the
other man escape you!"

She was silent and thoughtful for a moment or two. Then she got up and
went and bathed her eyes. Yet when they wanted to take her into the
dining room she still shouted "No!" furiously. Vandeuvres left the
bedroom, smiling and without further pressing her, and the moment he
was gone she had an access of melting tenderness, threw herself into
Daguenet's arms and cried out:

"Ah, my sweetie, there's only you in the world. I love you! YES, I love
you from the bottom of my heart! Oh, it would be too nice if we could
always live together. My God! How unfortunate women are!"

Then her eye fell upon Georges, who, seeing them kiss, was growing very
red, and she kissed him too. Sweetie could not be jealous of a baby! She
wanted Paul and Georges always to agree, because it would be so nice for
them all three to stay like that, knowing all the time that they loved
one another very much. But an extraordinary noise disturbed them: