Volume I Part 50 (2/2)
Coucou bowed, as if a coain, ”Providence permitted us to-day to reata little crazy!”
”Oh, madame,” said Coucou ardently, ”it will not offend you, if I tell you that I find you exceedingly--and, speaking plainly, consider you quite lovely! Call me impertinent, madame: but believe my assurance that I speak the real truth I have seen ladies in all parts of the world, blondes and brunettes, black and white, but I never met one who understood hoin my heart till I this day overness, but she was, first of all, a wife, and Coucou's words were repugnant to her
”Monsieur Zouave,” she replied, ”I aly she skipped a few), ”and you may call yourself lucky that I do not mind a joke--”
”A joke? But I can take an oath--”
”Do not swear,” interrupted the lady, in a ht to know that I have always been an honest wife, and only loved my husband, who is now in heaven Secondly, I airl, and as you have without the slightest pretext entered here, you have forfeited the respect which you owe the owner of this villa Thus you knohat you ought to know, and mark it down for the future, Monsieur Zouave”
Coucou felt as if it were best for hian to stutter:
”Pardon endarme officer had compassion on his embarrassment
”Well, do not take it to heart too much,” she said, kindly ”I do not bite anybody! You are, after all, a soldier, and if you do your duty, you cannot always touch everything with kid gloves My dear departed husband often told me so, and therefore console yourself and listen to me I am ready to pardon you, but only under one condition”
”Oh, under all conditions, even ever so difficult,” ejaculated Coucou, lively ”Speak, please; what am I to do?”
”Not much, but to tell ?”
”Only to see you”
”Indeed! Well, I must confess I like you! So you have fallen in love with -school, and in order to satisfy your suddenly aroused desires you creep at night into other people's houses! Do you kno these fellows are generally styled?”
Coucou bent his head, and Madame Caraman earnestly continued:
”Would it not be , if you were to coht, and ask for adly exclai!”
”What does that all mean?”
”Well, what I say is, that forhere!”
”Lord and Saviour, how am I to understand this nonsense?” said Madaed his tactics
”Madame,” said he with emphasis, ”I will admit that , but you ought not to consider it in the light of an offence”
”I hope so,” replied the companion respectfully, ”and I aain looked down quite abashed
”It passed previously through ed, ”that you perhaps would show a little interest for me--”