From the moment of this happy discovery, the three relatives lived in
the most perfect accord. They were good-humoured, reasonable, and kind.
Cachelin had recovered all his old gaiety, and Cora loaded her husband
with attentions. Lesable also seemed like another man, and more gay than
he had ever been in his life. Maze came less often, and seemed ill at ease
in the family circle; they received him kindly, but with less warmth than
formerly, for happiness is egotistical and excludes strangers.
Cachelin himself seemed to feel a certain secret hostility against the
handsome clerk whom some months before he had introduced so eagerly into
his household. It was he who announced to this friend the pregnancy of
Cora. He said to him brusquely: "You know my daughter is pregnant!"
Maze, feigning surprise, replied: "Ah, indeed! you ought to be very
happy."
Cachelin responded with a "Humph!" for he perceived that his colleague,
on the contrary, did not appear to be delighted. Men care but little to
see in this state (whether or not the cause lies with them) women in whom
they are interested.
Every Sunday, however, Maze continued to dine with the family, but it
was no longer pleasant to spend the evenings with them, albeit no serious
difference had arisen; and this strange embarrassment increased from week
to week. One evening, just after Maze had gone, Cachelin cried with an
air of annoyance: "That fellow is beginning to weary me to death!"
Lesable replied: "The fact is, he does not improve on acquaintance."
Cora lowered her eyes. She did not give her opinion. She always seemed
embarrassed in the presence of the handsome Maze, who, on his side,
appeared almost ashamed when he found himself near her. He no longer
smiled on looking at her as formerly, no longer asked her and her husband
to accompany him to the theatre, and the intimacy, which till lately had
been so cordial, seemed to have become but an irksome burden.
One Thursday, when her husband came home to dinner, Cora kissed him
with more coquetry than usual and whispered in his ear:
"Perhaps you are going to scold me now?"
"Why should I?" he inquired.
"Well, because--M. Maze came to see me a little while ago, and, as I
do not wish to be gossiped about on his account, I begged him never to
come when you were not at home. He seemed a little hurt."
Lesable, very much surprised, demanded:
"Very well, what did he say to that?"
"Oh! he did not say much, but it did not please me all the same, and
then I asked him to cease his visits entirely. You know very well that it
is you and papa who brought him here--I was not consulted at all about
it--and I feared you would be displeased because I had dismissed him."
A grateful joy beamed from the face of her husband.
"You did right, perfectly right, and I even thank you for it."
She went on, in order to establish the understanding between the two
men, which she had arranged in advance: "At the office you must conduct
yourself as though nothing had happened, and speak to him as you have been
in the habit of doing; but he is not to come here any more."
Taking his wife tenderly in his arms, Lesable impressed long kisses on
her eyelids and on her cheeks. "You are an angel! You are an angel!" he
repeated, and he felt pressing against his stomach the already lusty
child.