Part 34 (2/2)
”Does he look like me, Madeleine?”
”Not much, monsieur,” responded that damsel. ”Have you seen him,--have you seen Lerouge lately?”
”No,--no,” said he.
”From what I learn,” remarked Mlle. Fouchette, with a precision and nonchalance that defied suspicion, ”Monsieur Lerouge is probably off in some sweet solitude unknown to vulgar eye enjoying his honeymoon.”
Madeleine shot one furious glance at the speaker; but not daring to trust her tongue, she suddenly excused herself and disappeared in the throng.
Jean saw that she had been cut to the quick, and her abrupt action served for the moment to dull the pain at his own heart. He concealed his resentment at this malicious--but, after all, this ”child of the police” could not know. He s.h.i.+fted the talk to Madeleine.
”You seem to have offended her, mademoiselle.”
”Bah! Madeleine is that jealous----”
”What? Lerouge?”
”Of Lerouge. Can't you see?”
”No,--that is, I didn't know that she had anything in common with Lerouge.”
”Ah, ca! When she flies into a rage at the mention of him and another woman? Monsieur is not gifted with surprising penetration.”
”But Mademoiselle Madeleine is rather a handsome girl,” he observed, tentatively. While he mentally resolved not to be robbed of his own secret he was not averse to gaining any information this girl might possess.
”Perhaps,” said she,--”for those who admire the robust style. But you should see the other; she's an angel!”
”Indeed?”
It was hard to put this in a tone of indifference, and he felt her eyes upon him.
”Yes, monsieur.”
”I'd like to see her. You know angels are not to be seen every day.”
”Monsieur Lerouge can be trusted, I suppose, to render these visions as fleeting and rare as possible.”
He winced perceptibly.
”But Madeleine has magnificent eyes,” he suggested.
”This other has the eyes of heaven, monsieur.”
”And as for figure----”
”Chut! monsieur is joking,--the form of a Normandie nurse!
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