There, however, two women who wished to consult Madame
Bourdieu, and who sat chatting side by side on a sofa, told him that she
was still engaged, so that he was compelled to tarry a little longer. He
ensconced himself in a large armchair, and taking a newspaper from his
pocket, began to read it. But he had not been thus occupied for many
minutes before the door opened and a servant entered, ushering in a lady
dressed in black and thickly veiled, whom she asked to be good enough to
wait her turn. Mathieu was on the point of rising, for, though his back
was turned to the door, he could see, in a looking-glass, that the new
arrival was none other than Morange's wife, Valerie. After a moment's
hesitation, however, the sight of her black gown and thick veil, which
seemed to indicate that she desired to escape recognition, induced him to
dive back into his armchair and feign extreme attention to his newspaper.
She, on her side, had certainly not noticed him, but by glancing
slantwise towards the looking-glass he could observe all her movements.
Meantime the conversation between the other women on the sofa continued,
and to Mathieu's surprise it suddenly turned on Madame Rouche, concerning
whom one of them began telling the most horrible stories, which fully
confirmed the young man's previous suspicions.
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