Part 8 (2/2)
Jean gave a start; he was quite roused now.
”I am to compose it,--why should I be the one to do it?”
”Because you always do them.”
”Well, that's a nice reason,” protested Jean. ”I should say that is precisely why it is someone else's turn. You have only to set the others to work--Henry, or Uncle Alexis, or M. Giraud, or even Pierrot.”
”Why do you say _even_?” asked Pierrot, annoyed. ”I should do them quite as well as you.”
”Well, do them then! for my part, I have had enough of it.”
”Jean,” said Bijou, in a pleading tone, ”don't leave us in the lurch, please.”
She was going across to him, her pretty head bent forward, and a most comically beseeching little pout on her lips, when M. de Rueille rose abruptly from his seat, and stopped her on the way:
”Oh, he will do your couplets right enough; he likes doing them; sit down, Bijou.”
The young girl stood still in the middle of the room, surprised at this extraordinary proceeding.
”But why don't _you_ sit down?” she exclaimed. ”What have you come away from your table for?”
”Ah! I have no right to leave the table without your permission?”
”Jean!” began Bijou again, ”come now, Jean!”
Once again M. de Rueille interposed.
”Why don't you kneel down to him at once?” he said, in a sharp tone.
”Goodness! I don't mind doing that even if he will only be persuaded.”
She was darting across to her cousin, but Rueille caught her arm, and said angrily:
”What nonsense! it is perfectly ridiculous!”
Bijou looked at him in amazement, and stammered out:
”It is you who are ridiculous!”
”Oh, yes, of course,” he answered, speaking harshly, ”it is I who ought to go and sit down, and I am the one who is ridiculous; in fact, I am everything I ought not to be, and I always do everything I ought not to do.”
”Whatever is the matter, children?” asked Madame de Bracieux.
M. de Jonzac explained, as he emptied his pipe by tapping it gently against a piece of furniture.
”Heaven have mercy upon us! It is nothing less than Paul quarrelling with Bijou!”
”With Bijou?” exclaimed the old lady, in perfect amazement.
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