MME. BERNIN. No; I don’t know what you are referring to.
LUCIE. Oh, I beg your pardon, then. Please go on. About Annette?
MME. BERNIN. My daughter has had an invitation to join our cousins, the Guibals, for some time, and we absolutely cannot refuse to send Gabrielle to them. So I came to ask you to excuse us, as Gabrielle will not be there.
LUCIE. Will you forgive me for being indiscreet?
MME. BERNIN. I am sure you couldn’t be.
LUCIE. I wanted to ask you, is it long since Gabrielle received this invitation?
MME. BERNIN. About a week.
LUCIE. Indeed!
MME. BERNIN. Why should that surprise you?
LUCIE. She said nothing about it to Annette.