More than once, while her young mistress was trying on the gowns and jewels which were brought to her, Madeleine cried:
"Oh! mamzelle, how lovely you will look as a bride! But there's your sister! When she knows who you're going to marry, won't she make a row?"
"Hush, Madeleine, don't talk about my sister! I have a sort of feeling that she is going to interfere with my happiness again."
"Nonsense! There's no danger of that, mamzelle; I'll answer for Monsieur Gustave!"
They were conversing one morning in this same strain, when someone rang the doorbell violently.
"Mon Dieu! if it were she!" exclaimed Adolphine.
"Your sister? Well, if it is, she won't eat us."
It proved to be Fanny, who entered her sister's room with an insolent air, crying:
"What does this mean? Who ever heard of such a thing? Monsieur Gustave in Paris a whole week, I hear, and no one lets me know! And that tall scamp of a Cherami assured me that he was going to Russia! Ah! I'll fix him when I see him! Haven't you seen Gustave? Hasn't he been here?"
"Why, yes," Adolphine replied, trying to conceal her emotion, "he has been here. He comes every day."