Camille [34]
to you. Marguerite asked me all about you: who you were, what you did, what mistresses you had had; in short, everything that one could ask about a man of your age. I told her all I knew, and added that you were a charming young man. That's all."
"Thanks. Now tell me what it was she wanted to say to you last night."
"Nothing at all. It was only to get rid of the count; but I have really something to see her about to-day, and I am bringing her an answer now."
At this moment Marguerite reappeared from her dressing-room, wearing a coquettish little nightcap with bunches of yellow ribbons, technically known as "cabbages." She looked ravishing. She had satin slippers on her bare feet, and was in the act of polishing her nails.
"Well," she said, seeing Prudence, "have you seen the duke?"
"Yes, indeed."
"And what did he say to you?"
"He gave me--"
"How much?"
"Six thousand."
"Have you got it?"
"Yes.
"Did he seem put out?"
"No."
"Poor man!"
This "Poor man!" was said in a tone impossible to render. Marguerite took the six notes of a thousand francs.
"It was quite time," she said. "My dear Prudence, are you in want of any money?"
"You know, my child, it is the 15th in a couple of days, so if you could lend me three or four hundred francs, you would do me a real service."
"Send over to-morrow; it is too late to get change now."
"Don't forget."
"No fear. Will you have supper with us?"
"No, Charles is waiting for me."
"You are still devoted to him?"
"Crazy, my dear! I will see you to-morrow. Good-bye, Armand."
Mme. Duvernoy went out.
Marguerite opened the drawer of a side-table and threw the bank-notes into it.
"Will you permit me to get into bed?" she said with a smile, as she moved toward the bed.
"Not only permit, but I beg of you."
She turned back the covering and got into bed.
"Now," said she, "come and sit down by me, and let's have a talk."
Prudence was right: the answer that she had brought to Marguerite had put her into a good humour.
"Will you forgive me for my bad temper tonight?" she said, taking my hand.
"I am ready to forgive you as often as you like."
"And you love me?"
"Madly."
"In spite of my bad disposition?"
"In spite of all."
"You swear it?"
"Yes," I said in a whisper.
Nanine entered, carrying plates, a cold chicken, a bottle of claret, and some strawberries.
"I haven't had any punch made," said Nanine; "claret is better for you. Isn't it, sir?"
"Certainly," I replied, still under the excitement of Marguerite's last words, my eyes fixed ardently upon her.
"Good," said she; "put it all on the little table, and draw it up to the bed; we will help ourselves. This is the third night you have sat up, and you must be in want of sleep. Go to bed. I don't want anything more."
"Shall I lock the door?"
"I should think so! And above all, tell them not to admit anybody before midday."
Chapter 12
At five o'clock in the morning, as the light began to appear through the curtains, Marguerite said to me: "Forgive me if I send you away; but I must. The duke comes every morning; they will tell him, when he comes, that I am asleep, and perhaps he will wait until I wake."
I took Marguerite's head in my hands; her loosened hair streamed about her; I gave her a last kiss, saying: "When shall I see you again?"
"Listen," she said; "take the little gilt key on the mantelpiece, open that door; bring me back the key and go. In the course of the day you shall have a letter, and my orders, for you know you are to obey blindly."
"Yes; but if I should already ask for something?"
"What?"
"Let me have that key."
"What you ask is a thing I have never done for any one."
"Well, do it for me, for I swear to you that I don't love you as the others have loved you."
"Well, keep it; but it only depends on me to make it useless to you, after all."
"How?"
"There are bolts on the door."
"Wretch!"
"I will have them taken off."
"You love, then, a little?"
"I don't know how it is,
"Thanks. Now tell me what it was she wanted to say to you last night."
"Nothing at all. It was only to get rid of the count; but I have really something to see her about to-day, and I am bringing her an answer now."
At this moment Marguerite reappeared from her dressing-room, wearing a coquettish little nightcap with bunches of yellow ribbons, technically known as "cabbages." She looked ravishing. She had satin slippers on her bare feet, and was in the act of polishing her nails.
"Well," she said, seeing Prudence, "have you seen the duke?"
"Yes, indeed."
"And what did he say to you?"
"He gave me--"
"How much?"
"Six thousand."
"Have you got it?"
"Yes.
"Did he seem put out?"
"No."
"Poor man!"
This "Poor man!" was said in a tone impossible to render. Marguerite took the six notes of a thousand francs.
"It was quite time," she said. "My dear Prudence, are you in want of any money?"
"You know, my child, it is the 15th in a couple of days, so if you could lend me three or four hundred francs, you would do me a real service."
"Send over to-morrow; it is too late to get change now."
"Don't forget."
"No fear. Will you have supper with us?"
"No, Charles is waiting for me."
"You are still devoted to him?"
"Crazy, my dear! I will see you to-morrow. Good-bye, Armand."
Mme. Duvernoy went out.
Marguerite opened the drawer of a side-table and threw the bank-notes into it.
"Will you permit me to get into bed?" she said with a smile, as she moved toward the bed.
"Not only permit, but I beg of you."
She turned back the covering and got into bed.
"Now," said she, "come and sit down by me, and let's have a talk."
Prudence was right: the answer that she had brought to Marguerite had put her into a good humour.
"Will you forgive me for my bad temper tonight?" she said, taking my hand.
"I am ready to forgive you as often as you like."
"And you love me?"
"Madly."
"In spite of my bad disposition?"
"In spite of all."
"You swear it?"
"Yes," I said in a whisper.
Nanine entered, carrying plates, a cold chicken, a bottle of claret, and some strawberries.
"I haven't had any punch made," said Nanine; "claret is better for you. Isn't it, sir?"
"Certainly," I replied, still under the excitement of Marguerite's last words, my eyes fixed ardently upon her.
"Good," said she; "put it all on the little table, and draw it up to the bed; we will help ourselves. This is the third night you have sat up, and you must be in want of sleep. Go to bed. I don't want anything more."
"Shall I lock the door?"
"I should think so! And above all, tell them not to admit anybody before midday."
Chapter 12
At five o'clock in the morning, as the light began to appear through the curtains, Marguerite said to me: "Forgive me if I send you away; but I must. The duke comes every morning; they will tell him, when he comes, that I am asleep, and perhaps he will wait until I wake."
I took Marguerite's head in my hands; her loosened hair streamed about her; I gave her a last kiss, saying: "When shall I see you again?"
"Listen," she said; "take the little gilt key on the mantelpiece, open that door; bring me back the key and go. In the course of the day you shall have a letter, and my orders, for you know you are to obey blindly."
"Yes; but if I should already ask for something?"
"What?"
"Let me have that key."
"What you ask is a thing I have never done for any one."
"Well, do it for me, for I swear to you that I don't love you as the others have loved you."
"Well, keep it; but it only depends on me to make it useless to you, after all."
"How?"
"There are bolts on the door."
"Wretch!"
"I will have them taken off."
"You love, then, a little?"
"I don't know how it is,