have boasted a little prematurely, Storeshnikof; you have not caught your fish yet, and yet you said that she was yours, and that you had broken with Adèle so as to deceive us the better. Yes, you gave us a very good description, but you described to us what you had not seen yet; however, it's no matter. A week sooner or later makes no difference. You must not be discouraged about drawing on your imagination for stories. You will get on even better than you thought. I have been there; you will be satisfied."
Storeshnikof was beside himself with anger. "No, Mademoiselle Julie, you are mistaken; I venture to assure you that you are mistaken in your conclusion; forgive me for daring to contradict you, but she is my mistress. That was an ordinary lover's quarrel because she was jealous; she saw that I was sitting in Mademoiselle Mathilde's box during the first act; that's all."
"That's a lie, my dear, that's a lie," said Jean, yawning.
"I don't tell lies! I don't tell lies!"
"Prove it. I am a positive man, and I don't believe anything without proofs."
"What proofs can I bring you?"
"Now here you are backing out, and you as good as confess that you lie. What proofs? As if it would be hard to show them. Now, then, here's for you: to-morrow we will meet here again at supper. Mademoiselle Julie will be good enough to bring her Serge; I shall bring my dear little Berthe; you bring her. If you bring her, I am the loser, the supper shall be at my expense. If you don't bring her, you shall be driven out from our circle in disgrace.—Jean, touch the bell." The servant appeared. "Simon, be good enough to get supper for six people to-morrow; one just like the one that I had when Berthe and I were married at your house—do you remember?—before Christmas, and have it in this very room!"
"How could I ever forget such a supper, Monsieur? It shall be done." The servant went out.
"You contemptible, miserable men! Two years I lived as a bad woman in a house with prostitutes and thieves, and never once did I meet three such low people as you are! Mon Dieu! what sort of people do I have to live with in society? Why must I suffer such disgrace, O God!" She fell on her knees: "O God, I am a feeble woman! I could bear hunger, but in Paris the winters were so cold. The
