Volume Ii Part 24 (1/2)
”Mamzelle Agathe--a fine slip of a girl!”
”Well, tell me, Thoma.s.seau, in which direction is that lady's house?”
”Oh! it's at the other side of the village, in sight of the railroad.”
”And I can't see it from this window?”
”No, madame, there's too many houses in between.”
”Do you know also where a young man from Paris lives--a very fas.h.i.+onable young man, who has hired a large house just for himself alone?”
”A nice-looking, dandified young gentleman? that must be the one who's hired Monsieur Durand's house.”
”His name is Edmond Didier.”
”That's it, Monsieur Edmond; well, he lives not far from Madame Droguet's, on the main street.”
”Can I see his house from here?”
”No better than the other; it's on the other side, where the land slopes off a little; the village ain't as even as a mirror.”
”Very well; thanks.--I cannot see their houses,” thought the beautiful brunette, ”but that won't prevent my knowing what they do on the other side of the village. I will go out and walk about my garden; it's quite extensive and there must be other points of view.”
Thelenie wandered through the garden and through the little wood, which might have pa.s.sed muster as a park. She ascended several low hills on which were built pretty summer-houses, whence one could overlook the surrounding country; but as she was not familiar with it, she made no progress.
After a long stroll the lady with the great black eyes returned to her apartment, which she examined more in detail; then she gave orders for the dinner to be hurried forward, the change of air having sharpened her appet.i.te.
All this had taken time, and Thelenie suddenly remembered that she had not seen her husband since their arrival. She concluded that he was sulky because she had abused him so on the subject of her bandboxes, and she gave no further thought to him.
Meanwhile time pa.s.sed, and madame was informed that dinner was served.
”Very well,” said Thelenie; ”tell monsieur that I am going to dine.”
”But where shall I find monsieur, madame?”
”Where will you find him? why, in his apartment, I presume.”
”Where is his apartment, madame?”
”Just opposite mine--in the right wing, on the first floor.”
Mademoiselle went in search of her master; but she soon returned and said:
”I have been to all the rooms you mentioned, madame, and I haven't been able to find monsieur.”
”Then he must be in the garden; that man is intolerable--to make us hunt for him like this! he must know that it's dinner-time. Tell Thoma.s.seau to look for monsieur in the park, and let Lapierre help him; I am dying of hunger, and I am going to dine.”
Madame seated herself at the table and ate her soup. She came to the _hors d'uvre_ and still Chamoureau did not appear; but the gardener and the coachman reported that they had looked everywhere and that monsieur was certainly not in the garden or in the wood.
”This is very strange! Where has he hidden himself? Can he have fallen into some hole?”