"To replace small-clothes, monsieur le marquis?"
"No, only the boots. I believe that I have discovered the ancient foot-gear of the Phoceans; it would be very becoming to those men who have well-shaped legs!"
"It is not simply for the pleasure of riding that these gentlemen scour the country every morning," said Robineau with a mischievous air.
"Do they hunt?" said the marquis.
"No—no—that is to say, they do hunt if you call it so, but it is a sort of game which—which——"
"Pray explain yourself, monsieur!" said Cornélie; "we do not understand you."
"It seems to me, Monsieur de la Roche-Noire," said Edouard, "that these ladies are hardly likely to care about knowing where we go."
"Ha! ha! Look, mesdames, the poet is blushing already!" replied Robineau, laughing; "it is well that you should know that we have a sorceress in the neighborhood."
"A sorceress," exclaimed Eudoxie in dismay, while Mignon ceased to play with his fork for a moment and looked at Robineau.
"A sorceress," said Cornélie, with a scornful air; "bah! I don’t believe in sorceresses myself!"