that
there was question of an alliance between two families of the Faubourg
Saint-Germain, and they made it pretty clear that it concerned two
important families. I already received vague congratulations, and I
dared respond only by vague denials. The morning of the famous 17th of
May mamma had said to me, 'Come, my child, don't make a martyr of that
poor boy. Since it is to be "yes," for it will be "yes," you know
yourself, say "yes" at once.' I had obtained only a miserable respite of
twenty-four hours; and things were thus when, still on the 17th of May,
mamma and I arrived, a little late (after eleven), at Mme. de
Vernieux's, who was giving a ball, a very large ball. I went in, and I
had at once the feeling that I must be looking extremely well that
evening. They formed into a little hedge along my way, and I heard a
little 'oh!' of surprise, and a big 'ah!' of admiration which went
straight to my heart. I had had already in society certain successes,
but never any as marked as that one. M. de Courtalin came towards me. He
wished to engage me for all the waltzes, for all the quadrilles, for the
entire evening, for the night, for life. I answered him: 'Later,
presently, we will see. I feel a little tired.' The fact was I hadn't
the heart to dance. Mamma and I took our seats. A waltz began. Mamma
scolded softly: 'Dance with him, my child, I beg.' I didn't listen to
her. I was abstractedly looking around the room when suddenly I saw in a
corner two eyes fixed, fastened, pinioned on me--two eyes that I well
knew, but that I had some difficulty in recognizing, for they were
tremendously enlarged by a sort of stupor."

"Say by overwhelming admiration."

"As you please But it is here, Aunt Louise, that my interrogation will
begin. Why and how were you there? Where had you dined, Gontran?"

"At the club."

"And what did you intend to do after dinner? Come to Mme. de
Vernieux's?"

"No; Robert d'Aigremont and I had meant to go to the Bouffes-Parisiens."

"You did not go? Why?"

"We had telephoned from the club to have a box; all were sold--"

"So you said to Robert--"

"I said to Robert, 'Let's play bezique;' and I was beaten by one of
those streaks of bad luck--34,000 points in a dozen games--so thoroughly
that towards half-past ten I thought that bezique had lasted long
enough--"

"And so--"

"And so--"

"So Robert wished to bring you to Mme. de Vernieux's. And you didn't
want to go! If you hadn't come, how