"But all that would have been nothing, mademoiselle, if I had succeeded in finding you. It would seem that you accept hospitality elsewhere than with your aunts?"
Rosette made a little grimace, which I interpreted as meaning that she did not quite know what course to adopt; at last she said:
"I was with one of my friends. My aunts are always at me to get married, and that tires me; I shall end by dropping all of 'em."
"I should say that you were doing that already."
"Come, let's not say any more about that. We're not cross any more, are we? and you'll take me out to dinner, and we'll have a nice little feed—what do you say? Yes, you will, it's all settled; and we'll go into the country—it's a fine day—and roll on the grass."
How can one resist a pretty minx who proposes rolling on the grass? I was on the point of signing the treaty of peace with Mademoiselle Rosette, when the bell rang.
"My dear girl," I said to my grisette, "if it should happen to be the lady who was here the other day, I trust that you won't make another scene?"
"No, no, don't be afraid; I saw that I was wrong; she left me in possession with such a good grace! I don't bear your friend any grudge now."
At that moment, we detected a strong odor of essence of rose, and Rosette exclaimed:
"Dame! that lady uses plenty of perfumery! what a sachet bag!"