Volume I Part 30 (1/2)
”Well, monsieur,” said Thelenie, who could hardly resist the desire to laugh anew at her visitor's embarra.s.sment, ”you seem to be unwilling to tell me whether this little Amelia is pretty.”
”The girl in a _debardeur's_ costume? she is rather attractive--one of those roguish grisette faces. There are some better-looking ones among young women of her cla.s.s, but there are many inferior to her.”
”Tell me what happened at your supper. Did you laugh much? did you have much sport? Was Monsieur Edmond very devoted to his little flower-maker?”
”The supper, madame; you persist in wanting to talk about the supper--after the ball!”
”Well, yes, monsieur, I do. Sometimes I am very curious; where's the harm?”
”I see none, madame; but I must admit that I am hardly able to satisfy your curiosity.”
”Why so, monsieur, as you were with your friends?”
”I was there, madame, it is true, but it was almost as if I were not there. I don't know how it happened, but after the oysters I felt very dizzy; I suppose the wine was not pure! In fact, while my friends were chatting with the ladies, I, who did not take the slightest interest in what they said, as I could think of nothing but you--I fell asleep, yes, sound asleep.”
”Indeed! you fell asleep thinking of me; that is very flattering!”
”That proves, _belle dame_, that your image transports me from the earth, that I dream, and----”
”And that you fall asleep. But still, you didn't sleep all the time, of course; and when you woke----?”
”When I woke, they had all gone; which was the more unkind of Freluchon, because he had my clothes at his rooms! You cannot imagine all the annoyance that has caused me--to say nothing of the embarra.s.sing plight in which I find myself at this moment.”
For several seconds Thelenie had not been listening to Chamoureau. Her brow had become grave, her features expressed dissatisfaction. She rose and paced the floor, apparently quite oblivious of her guest's presence.
For his part, Chamoureau was no better pleased with his tete-a-tete. She seemed unwilling that he should talk to her of love; she questioned him concerning things which did not interest him in the least, and now she left him alone on the couch and strode about the room regardless of him.
He said to himself that if he had torn his coat and trousers simply to obtain that result, it was not worth while to go to so much expense. He was strongly tempted to rise in his turn and walk beside his hostess, who seemed to have the fidgets in her legs; but he feared that if he did so he might add to the rents that he had already made in his garments, and that fear cast him into the most painful perplexity.
At last Thelenie seemed suddenly to remember that she was not alone. She halted in front of him, then resumed her seat on the couch, saying:
”Excuse me, monsieur; you must consider me most impolite, but I am sometimes extremely absent-minded; ideas come into my head which absorb me completely. It is a part of my temperament.”
”You are forgiven, _belle dame_; indeed, I myself have moments when I am downright stupid! Really, I don't know how to explain it.”
”And then I will admit that I am angry with you for falling asleep at that supper after the ball. I had asked you to report to me all that you heard. If that is the way you perform commissions that are entrusted to you----”
”Forgive me, madame; in future I will keep awake, if that will give you pleasure; and it will be all the easier for me, because I feel that you have robbed me of repose forever!”
Thelenie looked at him severely, and said:
”So you absolutely persist in talking to me about love, do you, monsieur?”
”Insist upon it! Why, madame, I came here for no other purpose.”
”Ah! that is true frankness! I am going to be as frank with you, monsieur: perhaps you hope to make me your mistress?”
”Oh! madame, I dare not say that I hope it, but I may at least confess that it would be to me the height of felicity! And if the purest love, the most immovable constancy will avail me anything, put me to the test.”