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.
