M. de Jonzac, in spite of his inclination to laugh, put on a rigid expression. "I do not see anything amusing in it."
"You don't laugh, at any rate," said Pierrot, turning to Bijou and blushing furiously. "It is awfully good of you," he added.
After dinner, he drew her out on to the stone steps, and said, in a beseeching tone:
"Let me come out with you to take the green stuff to Patatras."
"But I must go and pour out the coffee first."
"Oh, just for once; Bertrade can pour it out right enough. Come, now, I don't want to go into the drawing-room; they'd begin asking me something else."
Denyse started off with him, taking from a shed the basket in which was prepared for her every day the bunch of clover she always took to her horse. She then went on in the direction of the stable, followed by Pierrot.
"You are awfully nice, Bijou, and so pretty, if you only knew it," he kept repeating, making his rough voice almost gentle.
As they crossed the path which led to the stable, they saw M. de Rueille and Jean de Blaye advancing towards them, deep in conversation.
"Look!" said Pierrot, "as you weren't in the drawing-room our two cousins made themselves scarce there."