"I assure you, though, that even if you marry M. de Clagny, I should not marry M. Spiegel. He said things to me just now which were very painful, and no matter how much I tried, I could not forget them."
"Painful things, about what?"
"About my jealousy—he said that it was ridiculous—and yet I had not complained about anything. I kept it from him as much as possible, my jealousy; but at the ball, I did not feel well, and I asked papa to take me home, and he was displeased about that, he thought I was sulking."
"Oh, all that will soon be forgotten!"
"No! and so you see, Bijou, it would be for nothing at all that you would commit the very worst of all follies—marrying an old man."
"An old man! it's queer, he does not seem to me at all like an old man—M. de Clagny! I should certainly prefer marrying a younger man and one whom I should like in every respect, but now—"
Jeanne put her arm round Bijou and, resting her hand on her friend's shoulder, kissed her as she said:
"You must just wait for him in peace, the one 'whom you would like in every respect!' You have plenty of time!"
"No, I have quite decided! Whatever you do now will be useless, for, in spite of what you say, when once the cause of your little misunderstanding has vanished, the misunderstanding will vanish in the same way. There now, kiss me again, and tell me that you love me."
"Well!" said Jean de Blaye, who now appeared with M. Spiegel, "is everyone ready; are we going to rehearse?"