"Yes, she is very agreeable; she seems to have much wit."
"Have you never before been in a position to judge of her wit?"
I bit my lips; I had said a stupid thing; but I hastened to add, in an off-hand tone:
"What I meant to say was that she has even more wit than she allows to appear on the surface."
"Ah! do you think so? I must say that it seems to me that she doesn't hide what wit she has."
I saw that I should have difficulty in extricating myself; when one has strayed into a bad road, it's the devil and all to get back to solid ground. And then, too, that Monsieur Sordeville had an embarrassing way of making one talk. The bride's brother happened to be passing us at that moment. He stopped and said to Monsieur Sordeville:
"Of whom are you speaking?"
"Madame Dauberny."
"Madame Dauberny! Oh! she's a gaillarde, she is!"
Monsieur Sordeville raised his eyebrows slightly as he replied: