Chérubin went to his desk and took out several rouleaux of gold pieces, which he handed to Daréna, saying:
“Take this, my dear fellow, take this; don’t spare it. Reward generously all who help to forward my love.”
“You do not need to give me that injunction; I will play the magnificent, the Buckingham! After all, you are rich, and if you did not use your fortune to gratify your wishes, really it wouldn’t be worth while to have it. Is your note very ardent?”
“Why, I think that it is very honorable——”
“Honorable! that’s not what we want, my dear friend.—Come, read me what you have written, and let me see if it’s all right.”
Chérubin took up the letter and read:
“‘I ask your pardon, madame, for the liberty that I take in writing you, but——’”
Daréna’s roar of laughter interrupted Chérubin, who inquired:
“What are you laughing at? Isn’t it all right?”
“Ha! ha! ha! Your innocence is enchanting; one would think that it was a letter from a boy to his aunt on her birthday. Let’s hear the rest.”