"It is not quite the same thing," returned Floriot. "You are a charming, happy, amiable and altogether delightful woman while I—Well, I'm just a bear."
"You don't mean to say so!" she exclaimed, with a look of mock alarm.
"Oh, yes!" he nodded with a smile. "Bear is the only word that describes me—an ill-tempered bear, at that!"
"You will never be as disagreeable as my husband was!" And Madame Varenne shook her head decidedly. Floriot laughed.
"Really! Was he even gloomier than I?"
"My husband! Good gracious me! You are a regular devil of a chap compared to him!" exclaimed the sprightly lady, earnestly. Again Floriot burst into a laugh. It was the first exercise of the kind he had had in some time.
"You can't have amused yourself much," he suggested. "You can't have had a wildly merry time."
"I didn't!" was the forcible response. "But now everything and everybody appear charming by contrast!"
"Even I?" he smiled.
"Yes, even you!" she admitted, with another smile. At that moment her brother entered and Floriot greeted him affectionately. His first questions were about Raymond and the replies were satisfactory. He rubbed his hands enthusiastically and busied himself with his bag, while Floriot attempted to continue his speech of thanks in the face of protests from both.