"She went away to dress just as you came in."
"She will never be ready."
M. de Clagny looked at his watch.
"But dinner is to be at eight—she has plenty of time; it is not half-past seven."
"Oh!" exclaimed Bijou regretfully. "If only I had known, I should not have hurried so much. I was so afraid of being late."
"I'm the one to be glad that you hurried so much. I shall have you to talk to for a minute"—
"For a good half-hour at least," she said, laughing; "no one is ever in advance here—oh, never, not even the guests any more than the people of the house."
"Ah, about the guests, tell me with whom I am going to dine. Your grandmamma said, 'You will dine with some friends of yours.' Now, as to friends, I cannot have many here now, considering that for the last twelve years I have not been in this part of the world. There have probably been many changes since then."
"Not so many as all that; let's see, now! you will dine with the Tourvilles."
"The Tourvilles? they are not dead yet?"