Madame Desvarennes’s doubts were lulled to rest.  She saw her daughter happy.  Her son-in-law was in every respect cordial and charming toward her.  Cayrol and his wife had scarcely been in Paris since their marriage.  The banker had joined Herzog in his great scheme of the “Credit,” and was travelling all over Europe establishing offices and securing openings.  Jeanne accompanied him.  They were then in Greece.  The young wife’s letters to her adopted mother breathed calmness and satisfaction.  She highly praised her husband’s kindness to her, and said it was unequalled.

No allusion was made to that evening of their marriage, when, escaping from Cayrol’s wrath, she had thrown herself in Madame Desvarennes’s arms, and had allowed her secret to be found out.  The mistress might well think then that the thought which at times still troubled her mind was a remembrance of a bad dream.

What contributed especially to make her feel secure was Jeanne’s absence.  If the young woman had been near Serge, Madame Desvarennes might have trembled.  But Micheline’s beautiful rival was far away, and Serge seemed very much in love with his wife.

Everything was for the best.  The formidable projects which Madame Desvarennes had formed in the heat of her passion had not been earned out.  Serge had as yet not given Madame Desvarennes cause for real displeasure.  Certainly he was spending money foolishly, but then his wife was so rich!

He had put his household on an extraordinary footing.  Everything that most refined luxury had invented he had introduced as a matter of course, and for everyday use.  He entertained magnificently several times a week.  And Madame Desvarennes, from her apartments, for she would never appear at these grand receptions, heard the noise of these doings.  This woman, modest and simple in her ideas, whose luxury had always been artistic, wondered that they could spend so much on frivolous entertainments.  But Micheline was queen of these sumptuous ceremonies.  She came in full dress to be admired by her mother, before going down to receive her guests, and the mistress had not courage to offer any remonstrances as to expense when she saw her daughter so brilliant and contented.

They played cards very much.  The great colony of foreigners who came every week to Panine’s receptions brought with them their immoderate passion for cards, and he was only too willing to give way to it.  These gentlemen, among them all, almost without taking off their white kid gloves, would win or lose between forty and fifty thousand francs at bouillotte, just to give them an appetite before going to the club to finish the night at baccarat.

Meanwhile the ladies, with their graceful toilettes displayed on the low soft chairs, talked of dress behind their fans, or listened to the songs of a professional singer, while young men whispered soft nothings in their ears.

It was rumored that the Prince lost heavily.  It was not to be wondered at; he was so happy in love!  Madame Desvarennes, who used every means of gaining information on the subject, even to the gossip of the servants, heard that the sums were enormous.  No doubt they were exaggerated, but the fact remained the same.  The Prince was losing.