Louise turned pale and averted her eyes. Whereupon the tutor went to her side and said in an undertone:
“Pray do not grieve, mia cara bella. Although the marquis forgets you, there is one who will never forget you, who will watch over your future, and will not allow you to vegetate in obscurity in this village. Patience; you are still very young, although perfectly developed already. Let us wait a bit; Penelope waited a long while for the return of Ulysses, but he came at last and killed all her suitors. That man shot perfectly with the bow!”
Louise gazed at Monsieur Gérondif in surprise, as if to ask him what he meant; but he had turned to Nicole.
“Now, I must bid you adieu,” he said.
“What, already, Monsieur Gérondif, without eating a mouthful, and without taking a drop to drink?”
“Have a glass of wine,” said Jacquinot; “nobody ever refuses that.”
“Pardon me, my dear Frimousset, but it’s very easy to refuse it, when you are in the habit, as I am, of drinking fine wines; your sour stuff would make me sick now.”
“But why are you in such a hurry to go?”
“Excellent Nicole, I know that there are potted quail for dinner to-day,—Mademoiselle Turlurette told me so,—and it would be uncivil to myself not to take my share of them. Au revoir, virtuous country folk; Nicole, watch over this little pearl—margarita; I commend her to your care. And you, sweet Louise, do not give way to sorrow; you have a grand future before you assuredly! This oracle is more reliable than the oracle of Calchas. I wish you all the best of health, and I fly to Villemonble to take the diligence.”
As he spoke, Monsieur Gérondif bestowed an expansive smile upon each in turn; he added to the young girl’s smile an exceedingly ardent glance, and took his leave, resuming his shiny hat and his glazed gloves.