The girl blushed, and without raising her eyes, said:
"I don’t remember what you said to me."
"The deuce! In that case it would seem that my declaration did not produce a very deep impression upon your heart."
"Alfred, how can you talk so frivolously to this girl? You think that you are dealing with one of your Parisian ladies. But the solitude in which Isaure lives should make us consider it a duty to treat her with the greater respect. Remember that we are under her roof, that she receives us here trustfully, and that it would be shocking to abuse her trust."
"Oh! you assume to preach, and yet you heave sighs and cast languishing glances! My dear Edouard, every man has his own way of making love, and with an innocent girl, yours is the more dangerous, I believe. For my part, I don’t beat about the bush, I say instantly whatever I feel. What harm is there, pray, in thinking Isaure lovely, in loving her? Is she not her own mistress? Is she not free to dispose of her heart? Why should I not try to make it my own? However, Isaure is safer than you think. I tried to kiss her—just a little kiss, that isn’t much to ask. But deuce take it! that attempt came near costing me dear; mademoiselle defended herself—and her dog—he saw it all, and for a moment I thought that he was going to swallow me whole! Parbleu! if I ever marry, I’ll have such a dog to leave with my wife!"
Isaure hung her head over her work and said nothing. Edouard rose angrily and paced the floor for several minutes; but on looking at the girl he saw that tears were rolling down her cheeks, although she lowered her eyes to conceal them.
"See, see, Alfred! This is your work!" cried Edouard; "here you hardly know her, and already you make her weep!"
"What do you say? She is weeping! Is it possible? And I am the cause of it! Isaure, dear Isaure, tell me that you forgive me."
As he spoke, Alfred ran and threw himself at the girl’s feet and seized one of her hands, although Vaillant raised his head and uttered a low growl of evil omen.
"How distressed I am to have made you unhappy!" continued Alfred; "I swear to be more considerate in the future! Edouard is right; I am a thoughtless fellow; I don’t know what I do. But you are so pretty! you fairly turn my head; really it isn’t my fault."