“It’s all ordered, my dear friend; and I shall take good care to pay for it. I don’t mean to put you to any expense, when you are sacrificing yourself to help me.”
“As you please; I’ll give the word to the waitress, and we will dine.”
“Go, my noble-hearted friend; tell her to be sure not to mention me.”
“Never fear.”
“I have but one fear now.”
“What’s that?”
“Just now, with the idea of giving Agathe a surprise, I amused myself, while her back was turned, by slipping my picture into her reticule.”
“Your picture?”
“Yes; I mean one of my silhouettes, you know, which I had pasted on a pink card, with a border of little cupids. If Agathe should happen to drop that when she takes out her handkerchief; or, not knowing what it is, should take it into her head to look at it——”
“Peste! that would make a pretty row! Gerville would surely say then that I was in collusion with you to deceive him.”