“Indeed, you may,” replied poor Madame Bernard, wringing her hands, “take anything you may find in the stables.”
Lucie burst out laughing. “And do you mean to ride in that dress?” she asked of Paul, who had on a frock coat and held a silk hat in his hand.
“It isn’t the dress that I would choose to ride in, Mademoiselle,” answered Paul, laughing. “I dare say I shall look quite ridiculous in this costume scampering after you—everybody we meet will surmise the reason—nevertheless, I shall go.”
“But you will not,” cried Lucie, running out of doors to where the horses were standing. She was not equal to the impertinence of having her groom assist her on horseback with an officer and a gentleman standing by, and, furthermore, the groom understood the situation and kept discreetly in the background. Paul further astounded her by directing the groom to ride to the stables and have a horse saddled for him and brought at once. Lucie was so angry that she had to wink her dark, bright eyes to keep the tears from coming, but Paul was as cool and as calm as possible.
“Never mind, Monsieur,” said Lucie, in a trembling voice, “I shall ride Comet—of that you may be sure. You may force yourself on me to-day, but you can not do it every day, and I shall ride what horse I please.”
Paul, urged by his love and tenderness for her, said words for which he thought he would have died rather than have spoken:
“Dear Lucie, if you are as reckless as that you will break my heart. Forgive me for calling you by your name, but don’t you remember, seven years ago, in the park at Bienville, you told me that when we were grown up we should call each other Paul and Lucie in private?”
Paul stopped. He felt as if he were guilty of a crime in saying these words to that enchanting creature, who would marry so far above him in every way. All at once he saw a vision of his father’s modest house at Bienville, and thought of his own small allowance and slender pay, and reckoned himself the greatest fool in existence. But Lucie’s reply to this was to look at him with a mysterious smile on her expressive face, and to say softly: