"Come, come," said Prudence, who had taken off her hat and was smoothing
her hair before the glass, "you will work yourself into a rage and do
yourself harm. Better come and have supper; for my part, I am dying of
hunger."
Marguerite rang the bell, sat down to the piano again, and began to hum
over a very risky song, which she accompanied without difficulty. Gaston
knew the song, and they gave a sort of duet.
"Don't sing those beastly things," I said to Marguerite, imploringly.
"Oh, how proper you are!" she said, smiling and giving me her hand. "It
is not for myself, but for you."
Marguerite made a gesture as if to say, "Oh, it is long since that I
have done with propriety!" At that moment Nanine appeared.
"Is supper ready?" asked Marguerite. "Yes, madame, in one moment."
"Apropos," said Prudence to me, "you have not looked round; come, and I
will show you." As you know, the drawing-room was a marvel.
Marguerite went with us for a moment; then she called Gaston and went
into the dining-room with him to see if supper was ready.
"Ah," said Prudence, catching sight of a little Saxe figure on a
side-table, "I never knew you had this little gentleman."
"Which?"
"A little shepherd holding a bird-cage."
"Take it, if you like it."
"I won't deprive you of it."
"I was going to give it to my maid. I think it hideous; but if you like
it, take it."
Prudence only saw the present, not the way in which it was given. She
put the little figure on one side, and took me into the dressing-room,
where she showed me two miniatures hanging side by side, and said: "That is the Comte de G., who was very much in love with Marguerite; it
was he who brought her out. Do you know him?"
"No. And this one?" I inquired, pointing to the other miniature.
"That is the little Vicomte de L. He was obliged to disappear."
"Why?"
"Because he was all but ruined. That's one, if you like, who loved
Marguerite."
"And she loved him, too, no doubt?"
"She is such a queer girl, one never knows. The night he went away
she went to the theatre as usual, and yet she had cried when he said
good-bye to her."