It was as much as to say, "And this is the
man you would have nothing to say to!"
"There you are my dear; I had my revenge, and your husband knows it. I
proved to him clearly that he was basketed--just where he was before,
as we say. Madame Marneffe is my mistress, and when her precious
Marneffe kicks the bucket, she will be my wife."
Madame Hulot stared at Crevel with a fixed and almost dazed look.
"Hector knew it?" she said.
"And went back to her," replied Crevel. "And I allowed it, because
Valerie wished to be the wife of a head-clerk; but she promised me
that she would manage things so that our Baron should be so
effectually bowled over that he can never interfere any more. And my
little duchess--for that woman is a born duchess, on my soul!--kept
her word. She restores you your Hector, madame, virtuous in
perpetuity, as she says--she is so witty! He has had a good lesson, I
can tell you! The Baron has had some hard knocks; he will help no more
actresses or fine ladies; he is radically cured; cleaned out like a
beer-glass.
"If you had listened to Crevel in the first instance, instead of
scorning him and turning him out of the house, you might have had four
hundred thousand francs, for my revenge has cost me all of that.
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