Bijou shrugged her shoulders.
"You know that I have a horror of people making a fuss about me, and you say things like this all the time to tease me."
"If you have a horror of making a sensation," exclaimed Pierrot, "that great Gisèle de la Balue is not like you, I can tell you. She's one who would change places with you. Yesterday, at the paper-chase feed, she was bothering round everyone like a great meat-fly; even Bernès sent her about her business."
"I think young Bernès is very nice," said the marchioness. "I was noticing him all the evening yesterday, and I like him very much. He is very natural, has good manners, and is not by any means stupid."
Jean de Blaye noticed that Bijou was screwing up her lips into a little pout of indifference.
"You don't appear to be of the same opinion as grandmamma?" he said.
"Oh, dear me! Yes, I am."
"Well, you are not enthusiastic; you may as well own it."
"Why, yes, I own it."
The marchioness turned to her grand-daughter: