“That is no reason for drinking chocolate! I have known English women, but I don’t eat plum-pudding!”
“Well! you make a mistake; you should always adopt the tastes of your lady friends; then you end by eating everything.”
At last Edmond succeeded in dragging Freluchon from the café; but the little man, as a precautionary measure, put in his pocket the rolls that he had not had time to eat. They arrived at the station, only to find that they had three-quarters of an hour to wait for the train.
“You see, I should have had plenty of time to soak my rolls in my chocolate!” cried Freluchon as they paced the floor of the waiting room. “Oh! these lovers! how unpleasant they are at table!—I say! they sell cake here; I am going to fill my pockets in case of accidents.—If this fellow Edmond were only amiable! I do whatever he wants, I follow him to a place where I don’t know a cat, and he doesn’t say a word, he looks as dismal as a night cap! Are you going to be like this all the way to Chelles?”
“Oh! Freluchon, if you knew what I feel when I think that I am going to see that fascinating girl again! It seems to me that when I am with her, I shall not dare to say a word.”
“Well! that will be lovely! You will give them a very pretty idea of your intelligence!”
“A man ceases to have any when he is in love!”
“In that case, I have an excellent reason for never falling in love. Fichtre! I don’t propose to lose my intelligence; it’s a thing that can’t be replaced.”
“Do you think she’ll be glad to see me?”
“What a question! It’s as if you should ask me if I know how many times I blew my nose yesterday.”