“I was prowling round the garden wall, and before long I heard a dog growling. I didn’t pay any attention to it at first, but as I was running my hands over a place where the wall is rather rickety, the barking got louder and fiercer; I discovered that the dog was close to me, that there was nothing but the wall between us. They called him from the house and tried to quiet him; time thrown away. I says to myself: ‘That’s a dangerous beast; let’s stand off shore!’—So I turned tail. In another minute what did I have at my heels but the infernal dog, who had leaped the wall, no doubt, and started after me. Fear gave me wings; I flew—and so did the damned dog! However, he only succeeded in getting hold of the tail of my coat, and it remained in his jaws; I managed to escape. But, bigre! it was high time! Look, see this big piece gone out of my coat—the cloth was very stout and new, so the beast must have pulled hard.”
“Upon my word! I didn’t expect to hear anything like this; I thought you were brave and strong, one of those men, in short, whom nothing terrifies, who recoil before no danger! And here you are all upset and cowed because a dog ran after you! You make me blush! Didn’t you have your cane to beat the dog off with?”
“Oh! my girl! one minute! let’s not put on airs; let’s not act as if we wanted to make Bibi angry!—To be sure, I am bold; with men I don’t retreat, and I am not afraid; but with a dog—that’s another matter!—Besides, I have a good reason to be afraid of them; didn’t I come near being strangled by Monsieur Duronceray’s dog? Didn’t he make this wound on my face, that I’ve still got the scar of? And it’s deep, too! I don’t know why, but it seemed to me last night as if it was that same dog that chased me.”
“What nonsense! he must be dead long ago!”
“Why dead? he was very young then—not more than a year and a half; so he’d be ten or eleven now; dogs live much longer than that.”
“Well, after what you have told me, I see that it’s of no use to rely on you to undertake anything against the girl.”
“If those women always have that dog to guard them, it will be rather hard.”
“They have no dog in the house; their gardener, whom I took care to employ a few days ago, told me so. It was a mere chance that there was one in their house last night.—But this young man coming this way—it is Edmond! At last I have an opportunity to speak to him. Leave me, Croque—go away.”
“All right; I will join your estimable husband and breakfast with him.”
“Be careful not to get tipsy as you did the other day; for, when you do, you entirely forget your rôle.”