"Oh! such a capital joke!" answered Madame Girard; "I have played the marquise such a trick. You know how anxious she always is to take the lead in the fashions, and how every body follows her. I went, two days since, to Barenne, who is dress-maker to the marquise and myself, and asked her, as I always do, if the marquise had given her any orders for this evening, when all the world was to be here at the Théâtre Français. After innumerable difficulties, I extracted the secret from her. The marquise had ordered a most original, delicious head-dress; such an one as suited her alone.—Her alone!" said Madame Girard, tossing her head proudly beneath her head-dress. "Well, at last, by dint of promises and coaxing, I obtained from dear Barenne a sight of this exquisite coiffure, and a promise to make me one like that of the marquise; and this is it. Look, it is called a sobieska. You may judge of Madame de Luceval's annoyance, when, expecting to have the first of this head-dress, she will see me wearing it."
"Allow me, madame, to differ from you," said Bertha, with a gentle smile; "I should rather think that she will be very glad not to be the only person whose head is thus attired."
"Oh! I assure you, my dear, that she will be furious," replied Madame Girard.
"I think with you, my love," said M. Girard.
"Monsieur Girard, I entreat you will not tutoyer (thee-and-thou) me," said Alphonsine, with a dignified gesture; "you are just like a porter."
"I meant to say, Alphonsine, that you will, perhaps, have to reproach yourself with having caused the milliner to lose the custom of the Marquise de Luceval; for, I must observe, my dearest love, that this is a breach of trust. Is it not, Brévannes,—is it not a breach of trust?"
"Timoléon," said Madame Girard to her husband, without any other reply, "there are but three empty boxes in this circle; go and ask if one of them is not let to the Marquise de Luceval?"
Timoléon arose as if he had been moved by a spring, and went out of the box in great haste.
"Do you know M. de Gercourt, the author of the new piece? I hear he is a most delightful person."
"I have often met him, and always found him very agreeable."