Comedy of Marriage and Other Tales | Page 6

to understand, and
moreover, it is the worse for him, for he must believe that I have been a
faithful wife to him all my life.

JACQUES DE RANDOL
Madeline!
MME. DE SALLUS
Well, what?
JACQUES DE RANDOL
Does a girl cease to be a faithful wife, if, when deserted by the man
who has assumed charge of her existence, and her happiness, and her
love, and her ideals, she refuses to resign herself--young, beautiful, and
full of hope--to eternal isolation and everlasting solitude?
MME. DE SALLUS
I think I have already told you that there are certain things which it is
not necessary to discuss, and this is one of them. [_The front door bell
sounds twice._] Here is my husband. Please be silent. He is in a gloomy
mood just now.
JACQUES DE RANDOL [_rises_]
I think I shall go. I am not in love with your husband any more, for
many reasons, and it is difficult for me to be polite to him when I
despise him, and when I know that he ought to despise me, and would
despise me when I shake hands with him, did he know all.
MME. DE SALLUS [_annoyed_]
How many times must I tell you that all this is entirely out of place?

SCENE II.
(_The same, including_ M. de Sallus.)
Enter M. de Sallus, _evidently in a bad temper. He looks for a moment
at_ Mme. de Sallus and at Jacques de Randol, _who is taking his leave;
then comes forward_.
JACQUES DE RANDOL
Ah! Sallus.
M. DE SALLUS
How are you, Randol? Surely you are not going because I came.
JACQUES DE RANDOL

No, but my time is up. I have an appointment at the club at midnight,
and now it is half after eleven. [_They shake hands._] Have you come
from the first performance of "Mahomet"?
M. DE SALLUS
Oh! Of course.
JACQUES DE RANDOL
People say that it should be a great success.
M. DE SALLUS
It doubtless will be.
JACQUES DE RANDOL [shakes hands again with De SALLUS and
Madame de Sallus]
Well, till I see you again.
M. DE SALLUS
Till then, my dear fellow.
JACQUES DE RANDOL
Madame, adieu.
MME. DE SALLUS
Adieu, Monsieur de Randol. [Exit Randol.]

SCENE III.
(M. de Sallus and Mme. de Sallus.)
M. DE SALLUS [_sinks into an armchair_]
Was Randol here any length of time?
MME. DE SALLUS

No, possibly half an hour.
M. DE SALLUS [_meditatively_]
Half an hour plus a whole hour makes an hour and a half, does it not?
Time seems to fly when you are with him.
MME. DE SALLUS
What do you mean by an hour and a half?
M. DE SALLUS
Just what I say. When I saw the carriage waiting at the door, I asked the
footman, who was within. He told me that it was M. Jacques de Randol.
"Has he been here long?" I asked. "He has been here since ten," said the
footman. Admitting that the man might have been mistaken, we will
say, in the matter of a quarter of an hour, that would make an hour and
a quarter, at the least.
MME. DE SALLUS
Oh, ho! What is this new attitude of yours? Have I not a right to receive
whom I like now?
M. DE SALLUS
Oh, my dear, I deny you nothing, nothing, nothing. The only thing that
astonishes me is that you do not know the difference between half an
hour and an hour and a half.
MME. DE SALLUS
Are you looking for a scene? If you wish a quarrel, say so. I shall know
how to answer you. You are simply in a bad temper. Go to bed and
sleep, if you can.
M. DE SALLUS
I am not looking for a quarrel, neither am I in bad humor. I only state
that time flies with you when you pass it in the company of Jacques de
Randol.
MME. DE SALLUS
Yes, it does go quickly; far more quickly than when I am with you.
M. DE SALLUS
He is a very charming fellow, and I know you like him; and, moreover,
he must like you very much, since he comes here every day.
MME. DE SALLUS
These insinuations are distasteful to me. Please speak plainly and say
what you mean. Are you assuming the rôle of a jealous husband?
M. DE SALLUS

God forbid! I have too much confidence in you, and far too much
esteem for you, to reproach you with anything, for I know that you
have too much tact ever to give rise to calumny or scandal.
MME. DE SALLUS
Do not play with words. You think that M. Jacques de Randol comes
too often to this house--to your house?
M. DE SALLUS
I do not