"What a doleful face you have!" exclaimed his host, laughingly. "I am
sorry that I took you away from Madame de Bergenheim; it seems that you
decidedly prefer her society to ours."

"Would you be very jealous if I were to admit the fact?" replied Octave,
making an effort to assume the same laughing tone as the Baron.

"Jealous! No, upon my honor! However, you are well constituted to give
umbrage to a poor husband.

But jealousy is not one of my traits of character, nor among my
principles."

"You are philosophical!" said the lover, with a forced smile.

"My philosophy is very simple. I respect my wife too much to suspect
her, and I love her too much to annoy her in advance with an imaginary
trouble. If this trouble should come, and I were sure of it, it would be
time enough to worry myself about it. Besides, it would be an affair
soon settled."

"What affair?" asked Marillac, slackening his pace in order to join in
the conversation.

"A foolish affair, my friend, which does not concern you, Monsieur de
Gerfaut, nor myself any longer, I hope; although I belong to the class
exposed to danger. We were speaking of conjugal troubles."

The artist threw a glance at his friend which signified: "What the deuce