have taken up with an actress； may the notion of marrying your
mistress never get a hold on you。 It is a torment omitted from the
hell of Dante； you see。 Look here！ I will beat her； I will give her a
thrashing； I will give it to her！ Poison of my life； she sent me off
like a running footman。'
〃By this time we had reached the boulevard； and he had worked himself
up to such a pitch of fury that the words stuck in his throat。
〃 'I will kick the stuffing out of her！'
〃 'And why？'
〃 'My dear fellow； you will never know the thousand…and…one fancies
that slut takes into her head。 When I want to stay at home； she；
forsooth； must go out； when I want to go out； she wants me to stop at
home； and she spouts out arguments and accusations and reasoning and
talks and talks till she drives you crazy。 Right means any whim that
they happen to take into their heads； and wrong means our notion。
Overwhelm them with something that cuts their arguments to pieces
they hold their tongues and look at you as if you were a dead dog。 My
happiness indeed！ I lead the life of a yard…dog； I am a perfect slave。
The little happiness that I have with her costs me dear。 Confound it
all。 I will leave her everything and take myself off to a garret。 Yes；
a garret and liberty。 I have not dared to have my own way once in
these five years。'
〃But instead of going to his guests； Cursy strode up and down the
boulevard between the Rue de Richelieu and the Rue du Mont Blanc；
indulging in the most fearful imprecations； his unbounded language was
most comical to hear。 His paroxysm of fury in the street contrasted
oddly with his peaceable demeanor in the house。 Exercise assisted him
to work off his nervous agitation and inward tempest。 About two
o'clock； on a sudden frantic impulse； he exclaimed：
〃 'These damned females never know what they want。 I will wager my
head now that if I go home and tell her that I have sent to ask my
friends to dine with me at the /Rocher de Cancale/； she will not be
satisfied though she made the arrangement herself。But she will have
gone off somewhere or other。 I wonder whether there is something at
the bottom of all this； an assignation with some goat？ No。 In the
bottom of her heart she loves me！' 〃
The Marquise could not help smiling。
〃Ah； madame；〃 said Nathan； looking keenly at her； 〃only women and
prophets know how to turn faith to account。Du Bruel would have me go
home with him；〃 he continued； 〃and we went slowly back。 It was three
o'clock。 Before he appeared； he heard a stir in the kitchen； saw
preparations going forward； and glanced at me as he asked the cook the
reason of this。
〃 'Madame ordered dinner；' said the woman。 'Madame dressed and ordered
a cab； and then she changed her mind and ordered it again for the
theatre this evening。'
〃 'Good；' exclaimed du Bruel； 'what did I tell you？'
〃We entered the house stealthily。 No one was there。 We went from room
to room until we reached a little boudoir； and came upon Tullia in
tears。 She dried her eyes without affectation； and spoke to du Bruel。
〃 'Send a note to the /Rocher de Cancale/；' she said； 'and ask your
guests to dine here。'
〃She was dressed as only women of the theatre can dress； in a simply…
made gown of some dainty material； neither too costly nor too common；
graceful and harmonious in outline and coloring； there was nothing
conspicuous about her； nothing exaggerateda word now dropping out of
use； to be replaced by the word 'artistic；' used by fools as current
coin。 In short； Tullia looked like a gentlewoman。 At thirty…seven she
had reached the prime of a Frenchwoman's beauty。 At this moment the
celebrated oval of her face was divinely pale； she had laid her hat
aside； I could see a faint down like the bloom of fruit softening the
silken contours of a cheek itself so delicate。 There was a pathetic
charm about her face with its double cluster of fair hair； her
brilliant gray eyes were veiled by a mist of tears； her nose；
delicately carved as a Roman cameo； with its quivering nostrils； her
little mouth； like a child's even now； her long queenly throat； with
the veins standing out upon it； her chin； flushed for the moment by
some secret despair； the pink tips of her ears； the hands that
trembled under her gloves； everything about her told of violent
feeling。 The feverish twitching of her eyebrows betrayed her pain。 She
looked sublime。
〃Her first words had crushed du Bruel。 She looked at us both； with
that penetrating； impenetrable cat…like glance which only actresses
and great ladies can use。 Then she held out her hand to her husband。
〃 'Poor dear； you had scarcely gone before I blamed myself a thousand
times over。 It seemed to me that I had been horribly ungrateful。 I
told myself that I had been unkind。Was I very unkind？' she asked；
turning to me。'Why not receive your friends？ Is it not your house？
Do you want to know the reason of it all？ Well； I was afraid that I
was not loved； and indeed I was half…way between repentance and the
shame of going back。 I read the newspapers； and saw that there was a
first night at the Varietes； and I thought you had meant to give the
dinner to a collaborator。 Left to myself； I gave way； I dressed to
hurry out after youpoor pet。'
〃Du Bruel looked at me triumphantly； not a vestige of a recollection
of his orations /contra Tullia/ in his mind。
〃 'Well； dearest； I have not spoken to any one of them；' he said。
〃 'How well we understand each other！' quoth she。
〃Even as she uttered those bewildering sweet words； I caught sight of
something in her belt； the corner of a little note thrust sidewise
into it； but I did not need that indication to tell me that Tullia's
fantastic conduct was referable to occult causes。 Woman； in my
opinion； is the most logical of created beings； the child alone
excepted。 In both we behold a sublime phenomenon； the unvarying
triumph of one dominant； all…excluding thought。 The child's thought
changes every moment； but while it possesses him； he acts upon it with
such ardor that others give way before him； fascinated by the
ingenuity； the persistence of a strong desire。 Woman is less
changeable； but to call her capricious is a stupid insult。 Whenever
she acts； she is always swayed by one dominant passion； and wonderful
it is to see how she makes that passion the very centre of her world。
〃Tullia was irresistible； she twisted du Bruel round her fingers； the
sky grew blue again； the evening was glorious。 And ingenious writer of
plays as he is； he never so much as saw that his wife had buried a
trouble out of sight。
〃 'Such is life； my dear fellow；' he said to me； 'ups and downs and
contrasts。'
〃 'Especially life off the stage；' I put in。
〃 'That is just what I mean；' he continued。 'Why； but for these
violent emotions； one would be bored to death！ Ah！ that woman has the
gift of rousing me。'
〃We went to the Varietes after dinner； but before we left the house I
slipped into du Bruel's room； and on a shelf among a pile of waste
papers found the copy of the /Petites…Affiches/； in which； agreeably
to the reformed law； notice of the purchase of the house was inserted。
The words stared me in the face'At the request of Jean Francois du
Bruel and Claudine Chaffaroux； his wife' /Here/ was the
explanation of the whole matter。 I offered my arm to Claudine； and
allowed the guests to descend the stairs in front of us。 When we were
alone'If I were La Palferine；' I said； 'I would not break an
appointment。'
〃Gravely she laid her finger on her lips。 She leant on my arm as we
went downstairs； and looked at me with almost something like happiness
in her eyes because I knew La Palferine。 Can you see the first idea
that occurred to her？ She thought of making a spy of me； but I turned
her off with the light jesting talk of Bohemia。
〃A month later； after a first performance of one of du Bruel's plays；
we met in the vestibule of the theatre。 It was raining； I went to call
a cab。 We had been delayed for a few minutes； so that there were no
cabs in sight。 Claudine scolded du Bruel soundly； and as we rolled
through the streets （for she set me down at Florine's）； she continued
the quarrel with a series of most mortifying remarks。
〃 'What is this about？' I inquired。
〃 'Oh； my dear fellow； she blames me for allowing you to run out for a
cab； and thereupon proceeds to wish for a carriage。'
〃 'As a dancer；' said she； 'I have never been accustomed to use my
feet except on the boards。 If you have any spirit； you will turn out
four more plays or so in a year； you will make up your mind that
succeed they must； when you think of the end in view； and that your
wife will not walk in the mud。 It is a shame that I should have to ask
for it。 You ought to have guessed my continual discomfort during the
five years since I married you。'
〃 'I am quite willing；' returned du Bruel。 'But we shall ruin
ourselves。'
〃 'If you run into debt；' she said； 'my uncle's money will clear it
off some day。'
〃 'You are quite capable of leaving me the debts and taking the
property。'
〃 'Oh！ is that the way you take it？' retorted she。 'I have nothing
more to say to you； such a speech stops my mouth。'
〃Whereupon du Bruel poured out his soul in excuses and protestations
of love。 Not a word did she say。 He took her hands； she allowed him to
take them； they were like ice； like a dead woman's hands。 Tullia； you
can understand； was playing to admiration the part of corpse that
women can play to show you that they refuse their consent to anything
and everything； that for you they are suppressing soul； spirit； and
life； and regard themselves as beasts of burden。 Nothing so provokes a
man with a heart as this strategy。 Women can only use it with those
who worship them。
〃She turned to me。 'Do you suppose；' she said scornfully； 'that a
Count would have uttered such an insult even if the thought had
entered his mind？ For my misfortune I have lived with dukes；
ambassadors； and great lords； and I know their ways。 How intolerable
it makes bourgeois life！ After all； a playwright is not a Rastignac
nor a Rhetore'
〃Du Bruel looked ghastly at this。 Two days afterwards we met in the
/foyer/ at the Opera； an