‘Madame?’
‘Well, Mademoiselle, tell me who is to be its heroine, who its hero, and what its plot, and then I will recount it to you,’ she said. They seemed to think this very witty, and laughed heartily. There was another pause, and Madeleine again made an attempt to engage the Marquis’s attention.
‘The ... the ... the houses in Paris ... seem to me most goodly structures,’ she began. He gave his nervous laugh.
‘Yes, yes, we have some rare architects these days. Have you been to see the new buildings of the Val de Grâce?’
‘No, I have not ... er ... it is a Convent, is it not?’
‘Yes. Under the patronage of Notre Dame de la Crêche.’
His attention began to wander again; she made a frantic effort to rekindle the flames of the dying topic.
‘What a strange name it is—Val de Grâce, what do you think can be its meaning?’
‘Yes, yes,’ with his nervous laugh, ‘Val de Grâce, doubtless there is some legend connected with it.’
Madeleine gave up in despair.