"Still, mademoiselle, your flower pots may cause a serious accident."
"Oh! monsieur le commissaire, just a little pot of pansies!"
"If it should fall on anybody's head, mademoiselle, a pot of pansies might do as much damage as one of poppies. If you are so fond of flowers, why don't you put your pansies on something inside your room? You would enjoy them just as much—yes, more; and there would be no danger to your health, for the pansy has no odor."
The girl lowered her eyes, as she replied:
"That wouldn't be the same thing; if it was inside my room, he wouldn't see it!"
"He wouldn't see it? Ah! I understand: that pot of pansies is a signal to your lover, is it?"
"Yes, monsieur," faltered the girl, with a smile; "when it's on the ledge, he may come up; and if I happen to have company, I take it away, and he don't come up."
"Very good; he is able to come up very often, I judge, as the pot of pansies seems to be always in evidence; and thus the most innocent of flowers is made to serve the intrigues of lovers!"
"Oh! monsieur, my lover will marry me; I am perfectly sure of it."
"I trust so, mademoiselle; but you must put a wooden bar across your window, so that passers-by will not be in danger; only on that condition can I sanction the flower pot which you use to telegraph to your lover."