"If I have not visited Madame de V-----, whose fault is it?" she
replied. "You are so jealous that you will not allow her either to
visit her friends or to receive them."

"I jealous!" cried Monsieur de V-----, "after four years of marriage,
and after having had three children!"

"Hush," said Emilie, striking the fingers of the baron with her fan,
"Louise is not asleep!"

The carriage stopped, and the baron offered his hand to his wife's
fair friend and helped her to get out.

"I hope," said Madame B-----, "that you will not prevent Louise from
coming to the ball which I am giving this week."

The baron made her a respectful bow.

This ball was a triumph of Madame B-----'s and the ruin of the husband
of Louise; for he became desperately enamored of Emilie, to whom he
would have sacrificed a hundred lawful wives.

Some months after that evening on which the baron gained some hopes of
succeeding with his wife's friend, he found himself one morning at the
house of Madame B-----, when the maid came to announce the Baroness de
V-----.

"Ah!" cried Emilie, "if Louise were to see you with me at such an hour
as this, she would be capable of compromising me. Go into that closet