As to Madame de Fischtaminel, who is, in fact, connected with the affair, as you shall see, she, being unable to recriminate, abstains from words and recriminates in acts.

We give permission to all to think that the speaker is Caroline herself, not the silly little Caroline of tender years.  But Caroline when she has become a woman of thirty.

“For instance,” she remarks to a young woman whom she is edifying, “you will have children, God willing.”

“Madame,” I say, “don’t let us mix the deity up in this, unless it is an allusion—­”

“You are impertinent,” she replies, “you shouldn’t interrupt a woman—­”

“When she is busy with children, I know:  but, madame, you ought not to trifle with the innocence of young ladies.  Mademoiselle is going to be married, and if she were led to count upon the intervention of the Supreme Being in this affair, she would fall into serious errors.  We should not deceive the young.  Mademoiselle is beyond the age when girls are informed that their little brother was found under a cabbage.”

“You evidently want to get me confused,” she replies, smiling and showing the loveliest teeth in the world.  “I am not strong enough to argue with you, so I beg you to let me go on with Josephine.  What was I saying?”

“That if I get married, I shall have children,” returns the young lady.

“Very well.  I will not represent things to you worse than they are, but it is extremely probable that each child will cost you a tooth.  With every baby I have lost a tooth.”

“Happily,” I remark at this, “this trouble was with you less than petty, it was positively nothing.”—­They were side teeth.—­“But take notice, miss, that this vexation has no absolute, unvarying character as such.  The annoyance depends upon the condition of the tooth.  If the baby causes the loss of a decayed tooth, you are fortunate to have a baby the more and a bad tooth the less.  Don’t let us confound blessings with bothers.  Ah! if you were to lose one of your magnificent front teeth, that would be another thing!  And yet there is many a woman that would give the best tooth in her head for a fine, healthy boy!”

“Well,” resumes Caroline, with animation, “at the risk of destroying your illusions, poor child, I’ll just show you a petty trouble that counts!  Ah, it’s atrocious!  And I won’t leave the subject of dress which this gentleman considers the only subject we women are equal to.”

I protest by a gesture.

“I had been married about two years,” continues Caroline, “and I loved my husband.  I have got over it since and acted differently for his happiness and mine.  I can boast of having one of the happiest homes in Paris.  In short, my dear, I loved the monster, and, even when out in society, saw no one but him.  My husband had already said to me several times, ’My dear, young women never dress well; your mother liked to have you look like a stick,—­she had her reasons for it.  If you care for my advice, take Madame de Fischtaminel for a model:  she is a lady of taste.’  I, unsuspecting creature that I was, saw no perfidy in the recommendation.