Part 29 (2/2)
”Why?”
”Because it seems to me that you would be happy with him.”
Bijou shook her head.
”I don't think so; I must have a husband more steady than Jean.”
”More steady? but he must be thirty-four or thirty-five--M. de Blaye.”
”What does that matter? he is not steady, you know--not by any means.”
”Ah! I did not know.”
”Then, too, I should want my husband to only care for me.”
”Well, pretty and fascinating as you are, you can make your mind easy about that.”
Bijou stopped suddenly in the middle of the garden-walk.
”Is not that a carriage coming up the drive?” she asked, pointing to the avenue.
”Yes, certainly it is.”
”What sort of a carriage? I cannot see anything, I am so short-sighted.”
”A phaeton with two horses, and a gentleman I don't know is driving.”
”Ah, yes, that's it!” And then, as Jeanne looked at her inquiringly, she added: ”It is M. de Clagny--a friend of grandmamma's--the owner of The Noriniere.”
”Ah! the man who is so rich!”
”So rich? Do you think he is so rich? I have not heard a word about that!”
”Oh, yes; he is immensely wealthy--and all his fortune is in land.”
Bijou was not listening to this. She had just gathered a daisy, which was growing amongst the gra.s.s, bending its little timid head over the garden pathway, and she was now pulling it to pieces in an absent-minded way.
”Well?” asked Jeanne, smiling; ”how does he love you?”
Bijou lifted her pretty head in surprise.
”Whom do you mean?”
”The one about whom you were questioning that daisy?”
”I don't know! I was not questioning it about anyone in particular.”
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