“No, I don’t,” responded Léontine, nonchalantly. “I never saw you before.”
At this, shouts of laughter came from the three young ladies, and they all urged Papa Bouchard to stop his wild career of prevarication and learn to tell the truth.
Papa Bouchard, quite beside himself, turned to Major Fallière.
“Sir,” he said, solemnly, “you wear the uniform of an officer, and I presume you are a gentleman. Believe me, this lady—” indicating Léontine—“is the wife of a brother officer of yours, Captain de Meneval. The truest kindness you can do him or her is to persuade her to leave this scene of dissipation and return to Paris with me.”
“O-o-o-o-h!” shrieked the three impish girls in chorus. “What an outrageous proposition! And she says she never saw the man before!”
Papa Bouchard, still appealing to Major Fallière, continued, earnestly:
“Perhaps this misguided girl has not told you that she is Madame Victor de Meneval.”
“She told me,” quietly replied Major Fallière, “that she was simply Satanita, a singer and dancer.”
Papa Bouchard dropped limply on the sofa and groaned in anguish of heart. But now was heard a jaunty step on the stair, which all recognized as de Meneval’s. The mischievous Aglaia ran forward and unlocked the door, and in stepped de Meneval, smiling and debonair.