"What! I insult her? Why do you set yourself up as the lady's champion, monsieur, if you don't know her?"
"I do know her, monsieur, and I have a right to defend her. The Baronne de Grangeville is more noble than you are eminent in letters; but perhaps that is not saying overmuch for her nobility."
"You are attacking me now, monsieur; do you mean to insult me?"
"Come, come, messieurs! upon my word! how is this? do you propose to quarrel now?" murmured Alfred, whose mouth had become dry and sticky. "I won't have it; I——"
"Hold your tongue, Bibi!" cried Mademoiselle Zizi. "Don't you see that it's a joke? It would be pretty, wouldn't it, to come to dinner with a lady and take to squabbling in her presence!—In the first place, I believe monsieur is too well bred for that; and as for Jéricourt, he knows well enough that it doesn't pay to make me angry; I have ways of revenging myself! Come; let's have no more talk about it, and our dear neighbor will show us the fourth way to drink champagne; and everybody must try to imitate him this time. What do you say, my dear friend?"
"I told you just now, belle dame, that I am always at your service."
"Good! now you are agreeable again."
While Roncherolle filled his glass, Jéricourt rose, took his hat, and said, bowing coldly to the company:
"It is eight o'clock and I have an appointment at that hour; I am distressed that I cannot stay longer."
"What! leaving us so early?" faltered Alfred.