“Except—except—” here Toni’s eyes grew wide and bright with fear, “except about Nicolas and Pierre.”
“I hope we shall never see or hear anything more of those two rapscallions again,” replied Paul, “and, at all events, it is not worth while to say anything about that part of your life. Toni, you are, in some respects, the greatest coward I ever saw.”
“I know,” answered Toni frankly. “I always was, you remember. I can’t help it. But, at least, I am not afraid of horses, nor of guns, nor of fighting, if an officer will only stand by me and look at me very hard.”
Paul sat down at the desk and fingered the little note to which he was composing a reply. He began to reflect how much better off Toni was than himself. Toni was not held back from the girl of his choice by any consciousness of inequality in worldly position, although a girl of Denise’s beauty, merit and fortune might certainly look higher than Toni. But Lucie Bernard—when Paul thought of her millions of francs, her beauty, and then saw himself, a sublieutenant of dragoons, the son of a middle-class advocate at Bienville, his heart was like lead in his breast.
“Toni,” said he presently, “do you remember how Mademoiselle Lucie Bernard used to look in the old days at Bienville?”
“Perfectly,” cried Toni. “Don’t I remember the day that she talked with you in the park when I showed you where she was, and when Madame Ravenel fainted, didn’t I tell you so you could bring the water in your cap? Oh, I remember Mademoiselle Lucie well. She was the prettiest little lady and she is just the same now. I have seen her several times since I have been here and she always smiles and nods at me so sweetly.”
Paul could not confide so frankly in Toni as Toni had confided in him, but, nevertheless, they understood each other without any more words. Paul sat and frowned and looked at his note.
“Ah, Toni,” he said, “this world is full of thorns for a sublieutenant of dragoons without any fortune. You may go now.”
Toni went toward the door but paused, with the knob in his hand. “I think,” he whispered, “you will soon be as happy as I am,” and then he vanished through the door and went clattering down the corridor.