“Oh, madame, you overwhelm me; pray pardon me my momentary hesitation; but Paris is so full of snares and deceptions.”
“You then took us for——”
“Monsieur took us for snares, that is all.”
“Oh! ladies,” said the young man, quite humiliated, “I assure you, I did not.”
“But what is the matter? The coach stops.”
“I will see, madame.”
“Oh! I think we are overturning; pray take care, sir.”
And Andrée, in her terror, laid her hand on the young man’s shoulder.
He, yielding to an impulse, attempted to seize her little hand; but she had in a moment thrown herself back again in the carriage. He therefore got out, and found the coachman engaged in raising one of his horses, which had fallen on the ice.
The horse, with his aid, was soon on its legs again, and they pursued their way.