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Sandoz's little fourth-floor flat consisted of a dining-room, a bedroom, and a strip of kitchen. It was tenanted by himself alone; his mother, disabled by paralysis, occupied on the other side of the landing a single room, where she lived in morose and voluntary solitude.
Under the archway, he gave his key as usual to the doorkeeper. 'Madame Joseph, he said, 'I shall not be home all day. In less than twenty minutes he was in the Rue d'Enfer, at Sandoz's. But the latter, whom he feared would have already gone, was equally late in consequence of a sudden indisposition which had come upon his mother. It was nothing serious.
Then he went on stammering excuses. He would be only too pleased later on, but just now he was afraid that another model would quite complete his confusion over that picture; and Irma responded by shrugging her shoulders, and looking at him with an air of smiling contempt. Jory, however, now began to chat about their friends. Why had not Claude come to Sandoz's on the previous Thursday?
'Well, my dear fellow, answered Jory, vexed, 'everything I write about you is cut out. You make yourselves hated everywhere. Ah! if I had a paper of my own! Henriette came back, and Sandoz's eyes having sought hers, she answered him with a glance and the same affectionate, quiet smile that he had shown when leaving his mother's room in former times. Then she summoned them all.
Every Thursday, quite a band met at Sandoz's: friends from Plassans and others met in Paris revolutionaries to a man, and all animated by the same passionate love of art. 'Next Thursday? No, I think not, answered Dubuche. 'I am obliged to go to a dance at a family's I know. 'Where you expect to get hold of a dowry, I suppose? 'Well, it wouldn't be such a bad spec.
Claude impatiently awaited the Thursday when he was to dine at Sandoz's, for the latter, immutable in his habits, still invited his cronies to dinner once a week. All those who chose could come, their covers were laid.
Then, moved and grieved, unable to find a word, even of thanks, he kissed her religiously upon the brow. ON the 15th May, a Friday, Claude, who had returned at three o'clock in the morning from Sandoz's, was still asleep at nine, when Madame Joseph brought him up a large bouquet of white lilac which a commissionaire had just left downstairs. He understood at once.
However, Sandoz's proposal aroused memories in his mind; and, softening somewhat, he replied: 'Yes, that's it, we'll have a look. But as they advanced along the river bank, he became indignant and grieved. He could scarcely recognise the place.
Being his lawful wife, she would, no doubt, feel herself more in her rightful home, and would suffer less from his rough behaviour. She herself, for that matter, had never again spoken of marriage. She seemed to care nothing for earthly things, but entirely reposed upon him; however, he understood well enough that it grieved her that she was not able to visit at Sandoz's.
At this point of Sandoz's story, Claude, who had begun to listen to his friend, inquired: 'Then what is Dubuche doing now? 'I don't know nothing probably, answered Sandoz. 'He told me that he was anxious about his children's health, and was taking care of them.
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