“Well, she introduce me to Mademoiselle Lucille, and I give them all a dinner at Champeaux! It cost me over one hundred francs, that dinner. The way the mother of Mademoiselle Juliette drink champagne make me afraid for her. I am pleased with Mademoiselle Lucille very well, and I think I like to marry her. So I tell the mother if the girl, who is orphan, is willing, it goes with me, and she says she will speak with the girl and advise her.”
Here Monsieur Bébérose began to get indignant.
“So in a week I go back and say to the mother of Mademoiselle Juliette. ‘Well, how does it go with Mademoiselle Lucille?’ She shrug her shoulders.
“‘Lucille! Oh, yes; I have never asked her. I’ve been thinking it over, and I think I’ll give you Juliette after all.’
“Well, I like Lucille best now, but I like Juliette, too, so I say: ‘Very well, Madame, it goes with me. When may I have the pleasure of taking to the theatre my fiancée?’
“But Madame say it is not convenable if I go out alone with her daughter. She must accompany us. So when we go to the theatre she sit between us; when we have dinner she watch me all the time. Indeed, I have not been able to have one word in private with Mademoiselle Juliette. Perhaps I am not reasonable; but I think I ought to find out how she feels towards me before I become fiancé. I think marriage is better if there is a little affection with it, don’t you?”
“Yes, it’s preferable. I think.”
“Of course, I know Juliette will obey her mother and marry me; but me, I do not like the way they treat me about Lucille. Am I like a sheep that they shall pull about? Besides, Juliette is so young—just nineteen. It might be better if I find some nice young widow with a little money, don’t you think?”
I agreed with him that the matter was worthy of serious consideration, and that the belle-mère was likely to be a disturbing factor in his domestic equation. So, solemnly warning him to be careful, I left him more in doubt than before.
When I reached home Anastasia was awaiting me.