Axiom.--In society, people can put cloaks on every kind of truth, even the prettiest.
In short the _aria della calumnia_ is executed precisely as if Bartholo were singing it.
It is averred that Caroline cannot discharge her maid.
Society devotes itself desperately to discovering the secret of this enigma. Madame de Fischtaminel makes fun of Adolphe who goes home in a rage, has a scene with Caroline and discharges Justine.
This produces such an effect upon Justine, that she falls sick, and takes to her bed. Caroline observes to her husband, that it would be awkward to turn a girl in Justine"s condition into the street, a girl who is so much attached to them, too, and who has been with them sine their marriage.
"Let her go then as soon as she is well!" says Adolphe.
Caroline, rea.s.sured in regard to Adolphe, and indecently swindled by Justine, at last comes to desire to get rid of her: she applies a violent remedy to the disease, and makes up her mind to go under the Caudine Forks of another petty trouble, as follows:
THE AVOWAL.
One morning, Adolphe is petted in a very unusual manner. The too happy husband wonders what may be the cause of this development of affection, and he hears Caroline, in her most winning tones, utter the word: "Adolphe?"
"Well?" he replies, in alarm at the internal agitation betrayed by Caroline"s voice.
"Promise not to be angry."
"Well."
"Not to be vexed with me."
"Never. Go on."
"To forgive me and never say anything about it."
"But tell me what it is!"
"Besides, you are the one that"s in the wrong--"
"Speak, or I"ll go away."
"There"s no one but you that can get me out of the sc.r.a.pe--and it was you that got me into it."
"Come, come."
"It"s about--"
"About--"
"About Justine!"
"Don"t speak of her, she"s discharged. I won"t see her again, her style of conduct exposes your reputation--"
"What can people say--what have they said?"
The scene changes, the result of which is a secondary explanation which makes Caroline blush, as she sees the bearing of the suppositions of her best friends.
"Well, now, Adolphe, it"s to you I owe all this. Why didn"t you tell me about Frederick?"
"Frederick the Great? The King of Prussia?"
"What creatures men are! Hypocrite, do you want to make me believe that you have forgotten your son so soon, M"lle Suzanne Beauminet"s son?"
"Then you know--?"
"The whole thing! And old other Mahuchet, and your absences from home to give him a good dinner on holidays."
"How like moles you pious women can be if you try!" exclaims Adolphe, in his terror.
"It was Justine that found it out."
"Ah! Now I understand the reason of her insolence."
"Oh, your Caroline has been very wretched, dear, and this spying system, which was produced by my love for you, for I do love you, and madly too,--if you deceived me, I would fly to the extremity of creation,--well, as I was going to say, this unfounded jealousy has put me in Justine"s power, so, my precious, get me out of it the best way you can!"
"Let this teach you, my angel, never to make use of your servants, if you want them to be of use to you. It is the lowest of tyrannies, this being at the mercy of one"s people."
Adolphe takes advantage of this circ.u.mstance to alarm Caroline, he thinks of future Chaumontel"s affairs, and would be glad to have no more espionage.
Justine is sent for, Adolphe peremptorily dismisses her without waiting to hear her explanation. Caroline imagines her vexations at an end. She gets another maid.
Justine, whose twelve or fifteen thousand francs have attracted the notice of a water carrier, becomes Madame Chavagnac, and goes into the apple business. Ten months after, in Adolphe"s absence, Caroline receives a letter written upon school-boy paper, in strides which would require orthopedic treatment for three months, and thus conceived:
"Madam!
"Yu ar shaimphoolly diseeved bi yure huzban fur mame Deux fischtaminelle, hee goze their evry eavning, yu ar az blynde az a Batt. Your gott wott yu dizzurv, and I am Glad ovit, and I have thee honur ov prezenting yu the a.s.surunz ov Mi moaste ds Sting guischt respecks."
Caroline starts like a lion who has been stung by a b.u.mble-bee; she places herself once more, and of her own accord, upon the griddle of suspicion, and begins her struggle with the unknown all over again.
When she has discovered the injustice of her suspicions, there comes another letter with an offer to furnish her with details relative to a Chaumontel"s affair which Justine has unearthed.
The petty trouble of avowals, ladies, is often more serious than this, as you perhaps have occasion to remember.
HUMILIATIONS.
To the glory of women, let it be said, they care for their husbands even when their husbands care no more for them, not only because there are more ties, socially speaking, between a married woman and a man, than between the man and the wife; but also because woman has more delicacy and honor than man, the chief conjugal question apart, as a matter of course.