“Ah! you live here? Well, why doesn’t your aunt come, monsieur? I have no business with you, and if this aunt doesn’t mean to come then I will go about my business.”
And Violette took several steps toward the door; but Jéricourt barred her passage and led her back into the salon, saying:
“Mon Dieu! how quick you are! Are you in such a great hurry, pray? Take a seat—she is coming.”
As she did not choose to disclose her apprehensions, Violette decided to sit down for a moment. Whereupon the young man also took a chair and placed it beside her and very near.
“Do you know, charming girl, that I am overjoyed to have a chat with you at last? I have wanted it a long while, and it is so hard to obtain the slightest favor from you!”
“Are you going to repeat the same song as on the boulevard, monsieur? I know it already; I have no wish to learn it by heart, for, as I have told you, I don’t like the tune.”
“How unkind you are! But this little outburst of anger makes you prettier than ever! Women who surrender at once cease to have any value; whereas your conquest would be a genuine triumph.”
“Your aunt doesn’t come, monsieur, so I will go.”
“My aunt! Ha! ha! ha! that’s a good one! do you still believe in that, little one?”
“What, monsieur, is it a lie? And this Madame de Belleval, who sent to me for this bouquet——”