Comedy of Marriage and Other Tales | Page 7

find any fault with you for that.
MME. DE SALLUS
Thank you. You simply have not the right. However, since you adopt
this attitude, let us settle this question once for all, for I loathe
misunderstandings. It seems to me that you have an exceedingly short
memory. Let me come to your aid. Be frank with me. Through some
occurrence, the nature of which I do not know, your attitude is different
today from that of the past two years. Cast your memory over the past,
to the time when you began to neglect me in a manner that was plain to
all. I became very uneasy. Then I knew--I was told, and I saw--that you
were in love with Madame de Servières. I told you how hurt I was, how
grieved I was. What did you reply? Just what every man replies when
he no longer loves the woman who reproaches him. You shrugged your
shoulders, smiled impatiently, told me I was mad, and then expounded
to me--I must admit, in a most skillful manner--those grand principles
of freedom in love that are adopted by every husband who deceives his
wife and thinks she will not deceive him. You gave me to understand
that marriage is not a bond, but simply an association of mutual
interests, a social rather than a moral alliance; that it does not demand
friendship or affection between married couples, provided there be no
scandal. You did not absolutely confess the existence of your
mistresses, but you pleaded extenuating circumstances. You were very
sarcastic upon the subject of those poor, silly women who object to
their husbands being gallant toward other women, since, according to
you, such gallantry is one of the laws of the polished society to which
you belong. You laughed at the foolish man who does not dare to pay
compliments to a woman in the presence of his own wife, and ridiculed
the gloomy look of a wife whose eyes follow her husband into every
corner, imagining that because the poor man disappears into an
adjoining room he is at the feet of a rival. All this was very airy, funny,

and disagreeable, wrapped up in compliments and spiced with
cynicism--sweet and bitter at the same time, and calculated to banish
from the heart all love for a smooth, false, and well-bred man who
could talk in such a manner. I understood, I wept, I suffered, and then I
shut my door upon you. You made no objection; you judged me better
than you thought; and since then we have lived completely separate
lives. Such has been the case for the past two years, two long years and
more, which certainly have not seemed more than six months to you.
We go into society as usual, we return from society as usual, and we
each enter our own temple of life. The situation was established by you
in consequence of your first infidelity, an infidelity which has been
followed by many others. I have said nothing; I have resigned myself to
the situation; and I have banished you from my heart. Now that I have
finished, what do you wish?
M. DE SALLUS
My dear, I am not asking for anything. I do not even wish to answer the
very aggressive speech you have done me the honor to make. I only
wish to give you advice--the advice of a friend--upon a situation that
may possibly endanger your reputation. You are beautiful, always in
the public eye, and much envied. Scandal could have easy birth.
MME. DE SALLUS
Pardon me. If we are to speak of scandal, I must have leave to balance
my account with you.
M. DE SALLUS
Come, do not let us joke over this thing. I speak to you as a
friend--seriously, as a friend. As to what you have said about me, it is
all extremely exaggerated.
MME. DE SALLUS
Not at all. You have never tried to conceal, in fact, you have actually
proclaimed to all the world your infidelities--a fact which gives me the
right to go and do likewise, and, my friend, believe what I say--
M. DE SALLUS
One moment--
MME. DE SALLUS
Let me finish. According to you, I am beautiful, I am young, and yet
condemned by my husband to live, and watch him live, as if I were a
widow. Look at me [_rises_], is it just to consign me to play the rôle of

an abandoned Ariadne, while my husband runs from this woman to that
woman, and this girl to that girl? [Grows excited.] A faithful wife! I cry
you mercy! Is a faithful wife compelled to sacrifice all her life, all her
happiness, all her affections, everything, in fact, every privilege, every
expectation, every claim, which is hers