Father Goriot by Honoré de Balzac
page 76 of 375 (20%)
page 76 of 375 (20%)
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_Warwick_."
Maxime looked at Mme. de Restaud and shrugged his shoulders, as who should say, "If he is going to discuss nautical matters with that fellow, it is all over with us." Anastasie understood the glance that M. de Trailles gave her. With a woman's admirable tact, she began to smile and said: "Come with me, Maxime; I have something to say to you. We will leave you two gentlemen to sail in company on board the _Warwick_ and the _Vengeur_." She rose to her feet and signed to Maxime to follow her, mirth and mischief in her whole attitude, and the two went in the direction of the boudoir. The _morganatic_ couple (to use a convenient German expression which has no exact equivalent) had reached the door, when the Count interrupted himself in his talk with Eugene. "Anastasie!" he cried pettishly, "just stay a moment, dear; you know very well that----" "I am coming back in a minute," she interrupted; "I have a commission for Maxime to execute, and I want to tell him about it." She came back almost immediately. She had noticed the inflection in her husband's voice, and knew that it would not be safe to retire to the boudoir; like all women who are compelled to study their husbands' characters in order to have their own way, and whose business it is to know exactly how far they can go without endangering a good understanding, she was very careful to avoid petty collisions in |
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