Mademoiselle Bettine laughed. "The pink tarlatan?" she inquired. "That is a ball-dress."
"Never mind. She shall have it and be happy. You make her believe that we have been rather slighting her hitherto because she was only a child, but that now she is to be regarded as a young lady. We will have her taught dancing, playing, and singing."
"Really?"
"Oh, well, let her think so, and that she is to be introduced to society and treated like one of the family."
"If I tell her that now, I sha'n't get a wink of sleep all night long; she will chatter about it till morning. She is fairly crazy to take singing lessons."
"Poor little backfisch! We'll gratify her for once."
Oh, the heartless Jezebel!
A few days later Richard received an invitation to take tea and play whist at the Plankenhorsts'—quite en famille. Alfonsine was to sing also.
The young hussar officer refused no invitation from the Plankenhorst ladies, nor was he ever tardy on such occasions, but was wont to set his watch ahead so as to have an excuse to offer if he was the first guest to arrive. Thus it occurred in this instance that he saw no signs of a previous arrival when he handed his cloak and sword to the footman in the anteroom.