“Never existed except in my imagination. I wanted to decoy you to my rooms, for you refused to come willingly; so I resorted to stratagem. That’s often done—it’s fair fighting.”
“Oh! but it’s an outrage!—So the concierge whom I asked for that lady——”
“I had warned him that someone would ask for a person of that name, and I ordered him to send her up to me; it’s as simple as good-day.”
“And that woman who opened the door and told me that Madame de Belleval would come in a minute——”
“Is an obliging neighbor; I paid her for that little service with a ticket to the theatre.”
“Why, this is frightful! And there are people who lend a hand to such outrages!”
“My dear child, you make a great fuss over a very small matter! To try to obtain a tête-à-tête with a pretty flower girl is no great crime; I might have kept up the deception much longer, but I am very honest, you see; I play with my cards on the table.—Come, don’t be angry; you will have to end by calming down, anyway. Let’s make peace at once, and seal the treaty with a kiss.”
Before Jéricourt could put his lips to Violette’s face, she rose and ran toward the door; but the young man ran after her and detained her by putting his arm about her waist.
“Oh! you shan’t escape me so, my dear; you are in my room and we are alone.—Come, don’t be so cruel; but let me kiss you.”
“Take care, monsieur; you think that you have a weak girl to deal with, but I am not afraid of you; you won’t get anything from me, I give you fair warning; and if you try to use force, look out! I won’t spare your face, that you’re so proud of.—Let me alone, monsieur, I don’t propose that you shall kiss me.”