In front of the Hotel of the Apparitions M. de Guersaint again hesitated. “Then it’s decided, we are going to make our purchases there?” he asked.
“Certainly,” said Marie. “See what a beautiful shop it is!”
And she was the first to enter the establishment, which was, in fact, one of the largest in the street, occupying the ground-floor of the hotel on the left hand. M. de Guersaint and Pierre followed her.
Apolline, the niece of the Majestés, who was in charge of the place, was standing on a stool, taking some holy-water vases from a top shelf to show them to a young man, an elegant bearer, wearing beautiful yellow gaiters. She was laughing with the cooing sound of a dove, and looked charming with her thick black hair and her superb eyes, set in a somewhat square face, which had a straight forehead, chubby cheeks, and full red lips. Jumping lightly to the ground, she exclaimed: “Then you don’t think that this pattern would please madame, your aunt?”
“No, no,” answered the bearer, as he went off. “Obtain the other pattern. I shall not leave until to-morrow, and will come back.”
When Apolline learnt that Marie was the young person visited by the miracle of whom Madame Majesté had been talking ever since the previous day, she became extremely attentive. She looked at her with her merry smile, in which there was a dash of surprise and covert incredulity. However, like the clever saleswoman that she was, she was profuse in complimentary remarks. “Ah, mademoiselle, I shall be so happy to sell to you! Your miracle is so beautiful! Look, the whole shop is at your disposal. We have the largest choice.”
Marie was ill at ease. “Thank you,” she replied, “you are very good. But we have only come to buy a few small things.”
“If you will allow us,” said M. de Guersaint, “we will choose ourselves.”
“Very well. That’s it, monsieur. Afterwards we will see!”
And as some other customers now came in, Apolline forgot them, returned to her duties as a pretty saleswoman, with caressing words and seductive glances, especially for the gentlemen, whom she never allowed to leave until they had their pockets full of purchases.