I had telephoned and broken the news to him while I was waiting for
Alathea to come. He was not surprised, he pretended, and now that the
marriage is an accomplished fact, he is too well bred not to fall into
the attitude of delight about it. Maurice has no intention of dropping
me--married or single!
Thus when we arrived, and went up in the lift to the sitting-room, we
found him among the first to greet us.
The Duchesse kissed us both fondly, and said many pleasant things, and
having placed me in a suitable chair, brought everyone to me, and
presented Alathea to them all.
They were the very crême de la crême of the Faubourg who could be
collected in Paris--many are still in the country. Coralie was there,
with two resentful pinpoints in her clever little eyes, but the most
gracious words on her lips.
They none of them could find fault with the appearance of my wife--nor
her manner. She has the ways of the ancien régime like the Duchesse.
I could see that she was having a huge success.
While everything seemed to be going beautifully and all the company had
gone on into another small anti-room where the "goûter" was, my dear
old friend came to me.
"It is not progressing Nicholas--Hein?"
"There is some screw very loose, Duchesse. She absolutely hates me and
wants to go and live out of the flat!"
"Tiens!--She is jealous of some one. Nicholas, it is not possible that
you have still--?"
I did not grow angry.
"No indeed, that is over long ago, but I do believe she thinks it is
not. You see the person in question comes to see a relative who has
married an antiquaire on the floor above me, and Alathea has seen her
on the stairs and imagines she comes to see me!"
"And you cannot tell her?"
"I am not supposed to know it would matter to her!"
"Bon. Do you really love the child, Nicholas?"
"Chère Amie, with my whole heart. I only want her in all the world."
"And she is being impossible for you surely! I know her character--if
she thinks you have a mistress--her pride is of le diable!"
"It is indeed."
The Duchesse laughed.
"We must see what can be done, dear boy. Imagine though what I have
discovered! That infamous father took that money that you gave, when the
affair had already been settled by le Colonel Harcourt with your
money! A relation of mine attested at the investigation and had to know
the facts. Nicholas, you preux chevalier! You paid twice, and never
said a word! You are of a devotion! It was splendid of you, but my poor
Hilda is heartbroken that you have been so pillaged."