LV Outlet “Will you come home with me and finish the evening

鈥淲ill you come home with me and finish the evening?鈥� she answered, getting into her carriage and making room for him.
La Palferine said to his groom, 鈥淔ollow the carriage of madame,鈥� and then he jumped into it beside her to the utter stupefaction of Calyste, who stood for a moment planted on his two legs as if they were lead. It was the sight of him standing thus, pale and livid, that caused Beatrix to make the sign to La Palferine to enter her carriage. Doves can be Robespierres in spite of their white wings. Three carriages reached the rue de Chartres with thundering rapidity 鈥� that of Calyste, that of the marquise, and that of La Palferine.
鈥淥h! you here?鈥� said Beatrix, entering her salon on the arm of the young count, and finding Calyste, whose horse had outstripped those of the other carriages.
鈥淭hen you know monsieur?鈥� said Calyste, furiously.
鈥淢onsieur le Comte de la Palferine was presented to me ten days ago by Nathan,鈥� she replied; 鈥渂ut you, monsieur, you have known me four years! 鈥斺��
鈥淎nd I am ready, madame,鈥� said Charles-Edouard, 鈥渢o make the Marquise d鈥橢spard repent to her third generation for being the first to turn away from you.鈥�
鈥淎h! it was she, was it?鈥� cried Beatrix; 鈥淚 will make her rue it.鈥�
鈥淭o revenge yourself thoroughly,鈥� said the young man in her ear, 鈥測ou ought to recover your husband; and I am capable of bringing him back to you.鈥�
The conversation, thus begun, went on till two in the morning, without allowing Calyste, whose anger was again and again repressed by a look from Beatrix, to say one word to her in private. La Palferine, though he did not like Beatrix, showed a superiority of grace, good taste, and cleverness equal to the evident inferiority of Calyste, who wriggled in his chair like a worm cut in two, and actually rose three times as if to box the ears of La Palferine. The third time that he made a dart forward, the young count said to him, 鈥淎re you in pain, monsieur?鈥� in a manner which sent Calyste back to his chair, where he sat as rigid as a mile-stone.
The marquise conversed with the ease of a Celimene, pretending to ignore that Calyste was there. La Palferine had the cleverness to depart after a brilliant witticism, leaving the two lovers to a quarrel.
Thus, by Maxime鈥檚 machinations, the fire of discord flamed in the separate households of Monsieur and of Madame de Rochefide. The next day, learning the success of this last scene from La Palferine at the Jockey Club, where the young count was playing whist, Maxime went to the hotel Schontz to ascertain with what success Aurelie was rowing her boat.
鈥淢y dear,鈥� said Madame Schontz, laughing at Maxime鈥檚 expression, 鈥淚 am at an end of my expedients. Rochefide is incurable. I end my career of gallantry by perceiving that cleverness is a misfortune.鈥�
鈥淓xplain to me that remark.鈥�
鈥淚n the first place, my dear friend, I have kept Arthur for the last week to a regimen of kicks on the shin and perpetual wrangling and jarring; in short, all we have that is most disagreeable in our business. 鈥榊ou are ill,鈥� he says to me with paternal sweetness, 鈥榝or I have been good to you always and I love you to adoration.鈥� 鈥榊ou are to blame for one thing, my dear,鈥� I answered; 鈥榶ou bore me.鈥� 鈥榃ell, if I do, haven鈥檛 you the wittiest and handsomest young man in Paris to amuse you?鈥� said the poor man. I was caught. I actually felt I loved him.鈥�