While she was hurrying one night through the rue de la Pompe, looking at her watch and trembling with impatience at not finding an automobile or even a cab, a man stood in front of her. . . .  Etienne Laurier!  She always shuddered with fear on recalling that hour.  For a moment she believed that he was going to kill her.  Serious men, quiet and diffident, are most terrible in their explosions of wrath.  Her husband knew everything.  With the same patience that he employed in solving his industrial problems, he had been studying her day by day, without her ever suspecting the watchfulness behind that impassive countenance.  Then he had followed her in order to complete the evidence of his misfortune.

Marguerite had never supposed that he could be so common and noisy in his anger.  She had expected that he would accept the facts coldly with that slight tinge of philosophical irony usually shown by distinguished men, as the husbands of her friends had done.  But the poor engineer who, outside of his work, saw only his wife, loving her as a woman, and adoring her as a dainty and superior being, a model of grace and elegance, could not endure the thought of her downfall, and cried and threatened without reserve, so that the scandal became known throughout their entire circle of friends.  The senator felt greatly annoyed in remembering that it was in his exclusive home that the guilty ones had become acquainted; but his displeasure was visited upon the husband.  What lack of good taste! . . .  Women will be women, and everything is capable of adjustment.  But before the imprudent outbursts of this frantic devil no elegant solution was possible, and there was now nothing to do but to begin divorce proceedings.

Desnoyers, senior, was very indignant upon learning of this last escapade of his son.  He had always had a great liking for Laurier.  That instinctive bond which exists between men of industry, patient and silent, had made them very congenial.  At the senator’s receptions he had always talked with the engineer about the progress of his business, interesting himself in the development of that factory of which he always spoke with the affection of a father.  The millionaire, in spite of his reputation for miserliness, had even volunteered his disinterested support if at any time it should become necessary to enlarge the plant.  And it was this good man’s happiness that his son, a frivolous and useless dancer, was going to steal! . . .

At first Laurier spoke of a duel.  His wrath was that of a work horse who breaks the tight reins of his laboring outfit, tosses his mane, neighs wildly and bites.  The father was greatly distressed at the possibility of such an outcome. . . .  One scandal more!  Julio had dedicated the greater part of his existence to the handling of arms.

“He will kill the poor man!” he said to the senator.  “I am sure that he will kill him.  It is the logic of life; the good-for-nothing always kill those who amount to anything.”