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Updated: May 22, 2025
Six days previous to the departure of captain Hunter, the indefatigable 'Supply' again sailed for Norfolk Island, carrying thither captain Hill and a detachment of the New South Wales corps. A little native boy named Bondel, who had long particularly attached himself to captain Hill, accompanied him, at his own earnest request.
He jumped up in surprise, crying: "Ah! Bondel! what luck!" Bondel, embarrassed, answered: "Yes, my dear fellow, I happened to be in Paris, and I thought I'd drop in and shake hands with you." "That's very nice, very nice! The more so that for some time you have not favored me with your presence very often."
He seemed to me, on the contrary, to be very intelligent and shrewd; and you can't make me believe that a man with brains doesn't notice such a thing in his own house, when the neighbors, who are not there, are ignorant of no detail of this liaison for I'll warrant that they know everything." Madame Bondel had a fit of angry mirth, which irritated her husband's nerves.
Then the monotony of loneliness had soured each of them a little; and the quiet happiness which they had hoped and waited for with the coming of riches did not appear. One June morning, just as they were sitting down to breakfast, Bondel asked: "Do you know the people who live in the little red cottage at the end of the Rue du Berceau?" Madame Bondel was out of sorts.
She never had given the exact reason for this quarrel. She still bore him that grudge! Was it? But no no and Bondel declared that he was lowering himself by even thinking of such things.
She continued: "You would have done just as well to avoid him." "Why?" "Because there are rumors about them." "What kind?" "Oh! rumors such as one often hears!" M. Bondel was, unfortunately, a little hasty. He exclaimed: "My dear, you know that I abhor gossip. As for those people, I find them very pleasant." She asked testily: "The wife also?" "Why, yes; although I have barely seen her."
Bondel ushered his friend into the parlor, called the servant, and asked: "Is madame at home?" "Yes, monsieur." "Please ask her to come down at once." They dropped into two armchairs and waited. Both were filled with the same longing to escape before the appearance of the much-feared person. A well-known, heavy tread could be heard descending the stairs.
A hand moved the knob, and both men watched the brass handle turn. Then the door opened wide, and Madame Bondel stopped and looked to see who was there before she entered. She looked, blushed, trembled, retreated a step, then stood motionless, her cheeks aflame and her hands resting against the sides of the door frame.
I love my wife I love her very much; I appreciate and respect her; well! there are times when she seems to have more confidence and faith in our friends than in me." Bondel immediately thought: "There is no doubt; my wife was right!" When he left this man he began to think things over again.
Suddenly a plan occurred to him; it was bold, so bold that at first he doubted whether he would carry it out. Each time that he met Tancret, his friend would ask for news of Madame Bondel, and Bondel would answer: "She is still a little angry." Nothing more. Good Lord! What a fool he had been! Perhaps!
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