Милий друг
Attainment
"
Hiscompanion,whowasnotenvious,replied:"Somuchthebetterforhim.Hisfortuneismade."
Rivalasked:"Doyouknowwhathasbecomeofhiswife?"
Thepoetsmiled."Yesandno—shelivesaveryretiredlife,Ihavebeentold,intheMontmartrequarter.But—thereisabut—forsometimeIhavereadpoliticalarticlesin‘LaPlume,’whichresemblethoseofForestierandDuRoy.TheyaresupposedtobewrittenbyaJeanLeDol,ayoung,intelligent,handsomeman—somethinglikeourfriendGeorges—whohasbecomeacquaintedwithMme.Forestier.FromthatIhaveconcludedthatshelikesbeginnersandthattheylikeher.Sheis,moreover,rich;VaudrecandLaroche-Mathieuwerenotattentivetoherfornothing."
Rivalasked:"Tellme,isittruethatMme.WalterandDuRoydonotspeak?"
"Yes.Shedidnotwishtogivehimherdaughter’shand.Buthethreatenedtheoldmanwithshockingrevelations.WalterrememberedLaroche-Mathieu’sfateandyieldedatonce;buthiswife,obstinatelikeallwomen,vowedthatshewouldneveraddressawordtoherson-in-law.Itiscomicaltoseethemtogether!Shelookslikethestatueofvengeance,andheisveryuncomfortable,althoughhetriestoappearathisease."
Suddenlythebeadlestruckthefloorthreetimeswithhisstaff.Allthepeopleturnedtoseewhatwascoming,andtheyoungbrideappearedinthedoorwayleaninguponherfather’sarm.
