Part 75 (1/2)
”'Toi,'--it is good!” said the girl.
”Yes, it looks fair. And Henri always had the way of getting a world of meaning in a few words.”
”It is as if there had occurred nothing.”
”Yes,--to-night,--and we must prepare him a welcome of some kind. I will write him as to the hour. Let us say a supper, eh, Fouchette?”
”A supper? and here? to-night?”
Mlle. Fouchette recoiled with dismay written in every line of her countenance.
”I don't see anything so strange or horrible about that,” said Jean.
”I did not propose to serve _you_ for supper.”
”N-no; only----”
”Well?”
Mlle. Fouchette was greatly agitated. He looked at her curiously.
Monsieur Lerouge coming to see him and coming to supper--where she must be present--were widely different propositions according to Mlle.
Fouchette; for she had hailed the first with delight and the second in utter confusion.
”Fouchette, why don't you say at once that you don't want to do it!”
he brutally added.
”You do not understand. Would it be well for--for you, mon ami? It is not for myself. He probably does not know me.”
”What if he does? It strikes me that you are growing mighty nice of late. I don't see what Lerouge has to do with you,--and you have pretended----”
”Pretended? Oh, monsieur! I beg----”
”Very well,” he interrupted. ”We can go out to a restaurant, I suppose, since you don't seem to want to take that trouble for me.”
”Oh, monsieur!” she protested, earnestly, ”it is not that; I would be glad, only--if it were not Lerouge.”
”And why not Lerouge, pray?”
”But, mon ami, would he not tell his sister that----”
”Nonsense!”
”I know----” she hesitated.
”Pouf! Lerouge will not know you. And what if he did recognize the--the----”
”Savatiere----”
”Yes; what, then? But, say! Fouchette, you shall wear that pretty bonne costume I got you. Hein?”
”But, mon ami,--mon cher ami! I'd rather not do it,” she faltered.