"My God, madame! I do not know if I can dare—"
"Come, Marguerite, what is the matter?"
"Madame has interrupted me every time I spoke of monsieur, and yet I had something to say—something—"
And the servant stopped, looking at her mistress so uneasily, so sadly that the young woman exclaimed:
"My God! what is the matter with you, Marguerite? You frighten me."
"Ah, well, madame, when I went into the dining-room to give to monsieur the bottle of brandy he ordered, M. Bridou said to him, with a surprised and alarmed expression, 'Jacques, you will never do that.' Monsieur seeing me enter, made a sign to M. Bridou to hush, but when I went out, I—madame will excuse me perhaps on account of my intention—"
"Go on, Marguerite."
"I went out of the dining-room, but I stopped a moment behind the door, and I heard M. Bridou say to monsieur, 'Jacques, I say again, you will not do that.' Then monsieur replied, 'You will see.' I did not dare to listen to more of the conversation, and—"
"You were right, Marguerite; you had already been guilty of an indiscretion which only your attachment to me can excuse."
"What! What monsieur said does not frighten you?"