"And then, too, she is such a child!" said the marchioness, glancing at her grand-daughter with infinite tenderness.
Bijou was standing near the billiard-table watching the game, and laughing as she teased the players.
At a little distance from her, the young professor was also standing motionless, watching her with a rapturous expression in his eyes.
Suddenly Jean de Blaye rose abruptly, looking annoyed, and moved away in the direction of the door that led to the flight of steps going down to the garden.
"Wait a minute!" called out Denyse, "wait, and let me give you a flower!"
She went to the basket, and taking out a yellow rose scarcely opened, she crossed over to her cousin, and put it in his button-hole.
"There!" she said, stepping back and looking satisfied, "you are very fine like that!" And then turning towards the tutor, she said in the most winning way, and with perfect ease: "Monsieur Giraud, will you have a rosebud too?"
The young man took the flower, and, almost trembling with confusion, tried in vain to fasten it in his coat.
"Ah! you can't do it!" said the young girl, taking it gently from him. "Let me put it in for you, will you?"
He was so tall that, in order to reach his button-hole, she was obliged to stand on tip-toes. She slipped the flower through slowly, and with the greatest care, and when she had finished she gave a little tap to the shiny revers of the old coat, which were all out of shape and faded.