“The most regular frequenters of the shop were Monsieur Montina, a man of good private means, a tall, handsome man, like one meets with in the South of France, with an olive skin, and dark, expressive eyes; Monsieur Barbet, a magistrate; two merchants, who were partners, Messrs. Faucil and Labarregue, and General, the Marquis de la Fleche, the head of the Royalist party, the principal man in the whole district, an old fellow of sixty-six.

“My business prospered, and I was happy, very happy.  One day, however, about three o’clock, when I was out on business, as I was going through the Rue Saint Ferreol, I suddenly saw a woman come out of a house, whose figure and appearance were so much like my wife’s that I should have said to myself:  ‘There she is!’ if I had not left her in the shop half an hour before, suffering from a headache.  She was walking quickly on before me, without turning round, and, in spite of myself, I followed her, as I felt surprised and uneasy.  I said to myself:  ’It it she; no, it is quite impossible, as she has a sick headache.  And then, what could she have to do in that house?’ However, as I wished to have the matter cleared up, I made haste after her.  I do not know whether she felt or guessed that I was behind her, or whether she recognized my step, but she turned round suddenly.  It was she!  When she saw me, she grew very red and stopped, and then, with a smile, she said:  ‘Oh!  Here you are!’ I felt choking.

“‘Yes; so you have come out?  And how is your headache?’

“‘It is better, and I have been out on an errand.’

“‘Where?’

“‘To Lacaussade’s, in the Rue Cassinelli, to order some pencils,’

“She looked me full in the face.  She was not flushed now, but rather pale, on the contrary.  Her clear, limpid eyes—­ah! those women’s eyes!—­appeared to be full of truth, but I felt vaguely and painfuly that they were full of lies.  I was much more confused and embarrassed than she was herself, without venturing to suspect, but sure that she was lying, though I did not know why, and so I merely said: 

“‘You were quite right to go out, if you felt better.’

“‘Oh! yes; my head is much better.’

“‘Are you going home?’

“‘Yes, of course I am.’

“I left her, and wandered about the streets by myself.  What was going on?  While I was talking to her, I had an intuitive feeling of her falseness, but now I could not believe that it was so, and when I returned home to dinner, I was angry for having suspected her, even for a moment.

“Have you ever been jealous?  It does not matter whether you have or not, but the first drop of jealousy had fallen into my heart, and that is always like a spark of fire.  It did not formulate anything, and I did not think anything; I only knew that she had lied.  You must remember that every night, after the customers and clerks had left, we were alone, and either strolled as far as the harbor, when it was fine, or remained talking in my office, if the weather was bad, and I used to open my heart to her without any reserve, because I loved her.  She was part of my life, the greater part, and all my happiness, and in her small hands she held my trusting, faithful heart captive.