"Or rather, some misunderstanding in regard to names."
"And why, monsieur?"
"I seldom leave Madame de Luceval. She receives very few people, and I have never had the pleasure of seeing Madame d"Infreville in my house."
It seemed as if Valentine"s husband could not believe his own ears, for, turning to his companion, he exclaimed, hoa.r.s.ely:
"Do you mean to say, monsieur--?"
"That I have never had the honour of seeing Madame d"Infreville in my house."
"But that is impossible, monsieur. My wife is with your wife almost constantly."
"But I repeat that I have never seen Madame d"Infreville in my house, monsieur."
"Never?" exclaimed Valentine"s husband, so completely stupefied that M.
de Luceval gazed at him in astonishment, and said:
"So, as I remarked a short time ago, there must be some mistake in regard to the name, as you tell me that your wife visits my wife every day."
M. d"Infreville"s face had become livid. Big drops of sweat stood out upon his forehead, and a bitter smile contracted his bluish lips, but controlling himself,--for he was resolved to act the part of a gentleman in the presence of this stranger,--he responded in a sardonic tone:
"Fortunately, all this is between husbands, my dear sir; and we ought to feel a little compa.s.sion for each other, for, after all, each has his turn at it, as one never knows what may happen."
"What do you mean, monsieur?"
"Ah, my vague distrust was only too well founded," murmured M.
d"Infreville, in a sort of sullen rage. "Why did I not discover the truth sooner? Oh, these women, these miserable women!"
"Once more, may I beg you to explain, monsieur."
"You are an honourable man, monsieur," replied M. d"Infreville, in an almost solemn tone, "and I trust to your loyalty, sure that you will not refuse to aid me in my efforts to ferret out and punish an infamous crime, for now I understand everything. Oh, these women, these women!"
M. de Luceval, fearing his companion"s exclamations would attract the attention of several persons who were sitting a little distance from them, was endeavouring to calm him, when it so chanced that he caught sight of the footman Florence had sent out to mail her letter.
Seeing this man sauntering along with a letter which had, doubtless, been written by Florence immediately after the lively altercation with her husband, M. de Luceval, yielding to an almost irresistible impulse, called the servant to him, and asked:
"Where are you going?"
"I am going to buy some violets for madame la marquise, and post this letter," he replied, showing the missive to his master as he spoke.
That gentleman took it, and could not repress a movement of surprise as his eye fell upon the address, then, recovering himself, he dismissed the servant by a gesture, saying at the same time:
"You can go. I will take charge of the letter."
The footman having taken his departure, M. de Luceval turned to Valentine"s husband, and remarked:
"A strange presentiment, but one which did not deceive me, I find, impelled me to secure this letter. It proves to be one which my wife has written to Madame d"Infreville."
"Why, in that case, my wife and your wife must at least keep up a correspondence," exclaimed Valentine"s husband, more hopefully.
"True, but I discover this fact to-day for the first time, monsieur."
"Monsieur, I implore you, I adjure you, to open this letter. It is addressed to my wife. I will a.s.sume the whole responsibility."
"Here is the letter; read it, monsieur," responded M. de Luceval, quite as eager to know the contents of the missive as M. d"Infreville.
The latter gentleman, after hastily perusing the note, exclaimed:
"Read it, monsieur. It is surely enough to drive one mad, for in this letter your wife reminds my wife of the delightful day they spent together yesterday, as well as last Wednesday, and begs her to come again on Sunday."
[Ill.u.s.tration: ""HERE IS THE LETTER; READ IT, MONSIEUR.""]
"And I a.s.sure you, upon my word of honour, monsieur," responded M. de Luceval, after having perused the note in his turn, "that yesterday my wife did not get up until noon, that about three o"clock, I, with no little difficulty, succeeded in persuading her to take a drive with me.
We returned a short time before dinner, and after dinner two friends of ours spent the evening with us. As regards Wednesday, I remember perfectly that I was in and out of my wife"s room a number of times, and I again a.s.sure you, upon my word of honour, that Madame d"Infreville did not spend the day at our house."
"Then, how do you explain this letter, monsieur?"
"I do not explain it, monsieur. I merely confine myself to a plain statement of the facts of the case. I am as much interested in clearing up this mystery as you can possibly be."
"Oh, I will have my revenge!" exclaimed M. d"Infreville, his long repressed rage bursting forth at last. "I can doubt no longer now. The discovery that my wife has been absenting herself from home for days at a time naturally aroused my suspicions. I inquired the cause of these frequent and prolonged absences; she replied that she often went to spend the day with a former schoolmate, named Madame de Luceval. The name was so widely known and respected, the excuse so plausible, my wife"s manner so sincere, that I, like a fool, believed her. Now, I know that it was an instinctive distrust that impelled me to seek you out.
You see what I have discovered. Oh, the infamous wretch!"
"Be calm, I beg of you," entreated M. de Luceval, "your excited manner is attracting attention. Let us take a cab, and drive to my house at once, monsieur, for this mystery must be cleared up. I shudder to think that my wife, impelled by a desire to protect her friend, has consented to become an accomplice in a shameful deception. Come, monsieur, come. I count upon you, and you, in turn, can count upon me. It is the duty of all honest men to aid and sustain each other under such distressing circ.u.mstances. Justice must be done, and the guilty must be punished."
"Yes, yes. I will have my revenge! You may be sure I will have my revenge!"
He was trembling with rage, and his excitement increased his weakness to such an extent that he was obliged to lean heavily upon his companion"s supporting arm to reach the carriage.
It was about an hour after this chance meeting of the two gentlemen that Florence received the note from her husband announcing that he would not dine at home that day.
So while this matrimonial storm is becoming more and more threatening, we will return to the two ladies who were left alone together after the departure of the maid who had brought M. de Luceval"s note.
CHAPTER IV.
THE CONFESSION.
The maid had no sooner quitted the apartment than Madame d"Infreville said to her friend:
"You proposed I should spend the rest of the day here, my dear Florence, and I accept your offer, so as to give a semblance of truth to my falsehood in case there should be any trouble."
"But my letter?"
"It will be supposed that the letter and I pa.s.sed each other on the way, and that I reached here after the missive was sent."