"She said it was unfortunate for a man like me to be married to a woman
like you, unpunctual, careless, disorderly, a bad mother, and a bad
wife."

The young woman had gone into the anteroom, followed by Limousin, who did
not say a word at this unexpected condition of things. She shut the door
quickly, threw her cloak on a chair, and going straight up to her
husband, she stammered out:

"You say? You say? That I am----"

Very pale and calm, he 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, 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