"Well," said Marietta, "you profit by it, at all events."
"Certainly," replied Madame Leroi, in the same strain; "there is nothing like doing one's duty." Marietta shook her head; but she was too well satisfied with herself this day to feel any temptation to be out of humour, and when, soon afterwards, while eating their half-pound of cherries, Madame Leroi only took two or three, saying, that she did not care for them, Marietta easily understood that it was only because she wished to leave more for her.
In the afternoon, a friend came to pay them a visit; he was old and uninteresting, and remained the entire evening, much to the annoyance of Marietta, who was so completely rested from the fatigues of the previous day, by her morning's labour, that she was very anxious for a walk: she, therefore, ventured some hints upon the subject, but they were instantly checked by the severe looks of her mother, while the deafness of M. Lebrun prevented him from noticing them. Poor Marietta therefore endeavoured to be patient, and settled herself down as well as she could. "Mamma," she said, as soon as their visitor was gone, "has M. Lebrun amused you very much?"
"No, my child, but he is a man to whom I owe respect; he has come a great distance, and on no account would I have shortened his visit."
"Well, then, mamma," replied Marietta, with a confident air, though with a heavy sigh, "I am, at all events, glad to find that there are some things which you can do contrary to my interests; for most assuredly it was not to do me a service, that you deprived me of my walk, a thing beneficial to my health."
"Ah, my child! you little think how much it was to your interest that I did not take you for a walk to-day."
"Come, mamma, let me see how you will prove that."
"You will not die in consequence; at least I trust not; consider, then, how injurious it would have been to your education had I granted a request which you ought not to have made, for you must allow that you ought not to have asked, or even wished me to be in any manner wanting in respect towards M. Lebrun."
"Very well, mamma, I see that you find duties on all sides, which oblige you to contradict me."
"And make yourself quite easy, my dear child," said her mother, patting her cheek caressingly, "I will not fail in a single one."