Volume I Part 44 (1/2)
”But I thought that you had an appointment this morning. Just now you were in great haste to leave me in order to go to the Bois de Boulogne.”
”If you have other engagements, monsieur,” said Honorine to Edmond, ”we should be very sorry to have you neglect them on our account.”
”No, madame, no, I a.s.sure you that I have no other important engagement for to-day. I was going to drive in the Bois; but one always has time for that.”
”Oh, yes!” cried Agathe; ”besides, I think it will be fine all day.”
And the girl smiled at Edmond, to thank him for persisting in his plan of accompanying the agent.
”But the person who is waiting for you,” muttered Chamoureau, as he looked for his hat. ”You told me that----”
”It's of no consequence. It's a friend of mine, an idler like myself, and it makes no difference to him whether he goes to the Bois to-day or to-morrow.--Come, are you ready? How slow you are in finding your hat!”
”You don't give me time to breathe. I can't go to see Monsieur Courtivaux in a skull-cap.”
At last, thanks to Edmond, Chamoureau was ready to start. They all left the office together. The young man would have been glad to offer his hand to Agathe to escort her downstairs; but she was as light and active as a doe, and was at the bottom long before the others.
Edmond had come in a _milord_, which was waiting for him at the door; he bade Chamoureau step in, saying:
”Do you know the address of these ladies?”
”Yes, certainly; I must know it.”
But Agathe, fearing that their agent might have forgotten their address as well, hastened to say to Edmond:
”Madame Dalmont, Rue des Martyrs, 40.”
”Very good, mademoiselle. I shall not forget, you may be sure. Mesdames, you shall have news of your business before night.”
”We do not know how to thank you, monsieur.”
”I am too happy to be able to serve you. Driver, Rue Jacob, Faubourg Saint-Germain!”
”I say! what about Mademoiselle Amelia, whom you promised to take to drive this morning?” said Chamoureau as they rolled along.
”What do I care for Amelia? Do you suppose that I am going to put myself out for a paltry flower-maker, when I have an opportunity to be of service to such charming women! for they are charming, those two! Tell me, Chamoureau, how long have they been clients of yours? They can't be mother and daughter! Are they sisters, I wonder? Yes, in all probability. And yet they don't at all resemble each other! One of them is married; what does her husband do? do you know him too?”
”Sapristi! Monsieur Edmond, you bewilder me with your questions! I don't know which one to answer.--I have known these ladies a very short time.
They came to my office--ah! I remember only too well it was the day after Mi-Careme! I had just come home in my Spanish costume, thanks to that scamp of a Freluchon. For you know that my brand-new black coat and trousers are at his rooms! and heaven knows whether he will ever come back; once at Havre, he's quite capable of starting for America. If he should do that I'd have his door opened by the police.”
”What in the devil are you talking about?--I didn't ask you about your clothes; I asked you who those two pretty women are that I saw at your office just now? The younger one, especially. She must be unmarried; I'll wager that she's hardly sixteen. What a fascinating face! What a sweet expression in her eyes! There is modesty, playfulness, kindliness in her expression. I have never met such a charming young woman! What is her name? The elder lady's name is Dalmont, I know; but the young lady?
tell me--you must know her name.”
”Her name is Thelenie de Sainte-Suzanne; you know it well enough, having been so intimate with her; having had that felicity!”
”Come, come, Chamoureau, pay a little more attention to what I say. I am not talking about Thelenie; she has nothing in common with the girl I met just now at your office, thank G.o.d!”
”Madame Sainte-Suzanne is much more beautiful. She's a grown woman, just in her prime!”