“It is a token of friendship for which I thank you.”
“I was unmarried when I knew you; we used to meet often at parties; then you came to my uncle’s house.”
“Yes, madame, yes, the evenings at your uncle’s were delightful; you did the honors with such grace; so that we rated ourselves as very fortunate when we were on the list of your guests.”
“Yes, we used to have music and singing. Do you remember little Dumesnil, how false she sang?”
“I remember especially that you sang like an angel. We used to dance, too, quite often.”
“Yes, while the sober people played whist or bouillotte. You waltzed divinely, Armand; you were our best waltzer.”
“True, the waltz was my specialty.”
“And you never were able to make tall Adèle Brillange dance in time; do you remember her—rather a pretty blonde?”
“Really, I hardly remember her. Just remember that that was fully twenty-three or twenty-four years ago!”
Madame de Grangeville bit her lips, not at all pleased to find that her old acquaintance remembered dates so well.