Frederick had come there filled with hostility to Cisy; but the young aristocrat"s idiocy had disarmed him. However, as the other"s gestures, face, and entire person brought back to his recollection the dinner at the Cafe Anglais, he got more and more irritated; and he lent his ears to the complimentary remarks made in a low tone by Joseph, the cousin, a fine young fellow without any money, who was a lover of the chase and a University prizeman. Cisy, for the sake of a laugh, called him a "catcher"[A] several times; then suddenly:
"Ha! here comes the Baron!"
At that moment, there entered a jovial blade of thirty, with somewhat rough-looking features and active limbs, wearing his hat over his ear and displaying a flower in his b.u.t.ton-hole. He was the Vicomte"s ideal.
The young aristocrat was delighted at having him there; and stimulated by his presence, he even attempted a pun; for he said, as they pa.s.sed a heath-c.o.c.k:
"There"s the best of La Bruyere"s characters!"[B]
After that, he put a heap of questions to M. de Comaing about persons unknown to society; then, as if an idea had suddenly seized him:
"Tell me, pray! have you thought about me?"
The other shrugged his shoulders:
"You are not old enough, my little man. It is impossible!"
Cisy had begged of the Baron to get him admitted into his club. But the other having, no doubt, taken pity on his vanity:
"Ha! I was forgetting! A thousand congratulations on having won your bet, my dear fellow!"
"What bet?"
"The bet you made at the races to effect an entrance the same evening into that lady"s house."
Frederick felt as if he had got a lash with a whip. He was speedily appeased by the look of utter confusion in Cisy"s face.
[A] _Voleur_ means, at the same time, a "hunter" and a "thief." This is the foundation for Cisy"s little joke.--TRANSLATOR.
[B] _Coq de bruyere_ means a heath-c.o.c.k or grouse; hence the play on the name of La Bruyere, whose _Caracteres_ is a well-known work.--TRANSLATOR.
In fact, the Marechale, next morning, was filled with regret when Arnoux, her first lover, her good friend, had presented himself that very day. They both gave the Vicomte to understand that he was in the way, and kicked him out without much ceremony.
He pretended not to have heard what was said.
The Baron went on:
"What has become of her, this fine Rose? Is she as pretty as ever?"
showing by his manner that he had been on terms of intimacy with her.
Frederick was chagrined by the discovery.
"There"s nothing to blush at," said the Baron, pursuing the topic, ""tis a good thing!"
Cisy smacked his tongue.
"Whew! not so good!"
"Ha!"
"Oh dear, yes! In the first place, I found her nothing extraordinary, and then, you pick up the like of her as often as you please, for, in fact, she is for sale!"
"Not for everyone!" remarked Frederick, with some bitterness.
"He imagines that he is different from the others," was Cisy"s comment.
"What a good joke!"
And a laugh ran round the table.
Frederick felt as if the palpitations of his heart would suffocate him.
He swallowed two gla.s.ses of water one after the other.
But the Baron had preserved a lively recollection of Rosanette.
"Is she still interested in a fellow named Arnoux?"
"I haven"t the faintest idea," said Cisy, "I don"t know that gentleman!"
Nevertheless, he suggested that he believed Arnoux was a sort of swindler.
"A moment!" exclaimed Frederick.
"However, there is no doubt about it! Legal proceedings have been taken against him."
"That is not true!"
Frederick began to defend Arnoux, vouched for his honesty, ended by convincing himself of it, and concocted figures and proofs. The Vicomte, full of spite, and tipsy in addition, persisted in his a.s.sertions, so that Frederick said to him gravely:
"Is the object of this to give offence to me, Monsieur?"
And he looked Cisy full in the face, with eyeb.a.l.l.s as red as his cigar.
"Oh! not at all. I grant you that he possesses something very nice--his wife."
"Do you know her?"
"Faith, I do! Sophie Arnoux; everyone knows her."
"You mean to tell me that?"
Cisy, who had staggered to his feet, hiccoughed:
"Everyone--knows--her."
"Hold your tongue. It is not with women of her sort you keep company!"
"I--flatter myself--it is."