"If you would allow me to find you sometimes, madame, you would not have that trouble."

"Oh! no sentiment, monsieur, I beg; remember that we came here only to be foolish."

They reached the shady nook where a dainty repast was spread. A pet.i.te-maitresse puts coquetry into everything, and the open-air breakfast, although it consisted simply of milk, eggs, b.u.t.ter, fruit and excellent wine, seemed far richer when served by a lovely woman, in china decorated with lovely landscapes. Daintiness never spoils anything; it often enhances the value of the simplest things, and a certain wine which has a most delectable flavor in an artistically cut gla.s.s, might seem poor stuff in a beer mug.

They had been at table a quarter of an hour, talking, laughing, and eating heartily, because dancing, enjoyment and the fresh air sharpen the appet.i.te, when they heard Monsieur de la Thoma.s.siniere's voice in a path near by.

"There's my husband," said Athalie; "I was sure that he'd come; he's very fond of this place. But he has brought somebody with him."

"Let us pray that it isn't some horrible bore," said one of the young men.

"Oh! what does it matter? If it's anyone who bores me, I shall pay no attention to him, and you must do as I do, messieurs."

Monsieur de la Thoma.s.siniere appeared with a man of mature years, but dressed in the latest fashion, whose gait and manners, and even his voice, were affected. He had a distinguished face, but his look was a little deceitful; he smiled almost constantly, and frequently raised to his eyes an eye-gla.s.s, through which he admired the flowers, trees and shrubs.

"Here they are!" said Monsieur de la Thoma.s.siniere, when he caught sight of the little party. "My valet did not deceive me, and my concierge's information was accurate. This way, monsieur le marquis, this way."

"What's this? my husband has brought a marquis to see me!" exclaimed Athalie; "come, messieurs, we must make a little room for him. Really, Monsieur de la Thoma.s.siniere is as rattle-brained as I am! The idea of not letting me know!"

"This is exquisite, enchanting! It is all in the most perfect taste!"

exclaimed the marquis, going into ecstasies over everything he saw. When he caught sight of the little party of five, he made a very low bow to the mistress of the house, who had risen to receive him; while Monsieur de la Thoma.s.siniere, who felt two feet taller since he had brought home a marquis, bestowed a patronizing nod on the young men, and said to his wife, taking his companion's hand:

"Madame, this is Monsieur le Marquis de Cligneval, who has been kind enough to condescend to allow me to bring him to call upon you. He came to see me at my house this morning about a _consequential_ matter. I said to him: 'We can talk about this just as well at my place in the country.' That suited him, and gad! I had my dapple-grey horse put in the cabriolet, monsieur le marquis got in with me, I gave the beast a cut with my whip, and zeste! we were off like the wind.--My dapple-grey goes prettily, eh, monsieur le marquis?"

"Like an angel, my dear fellow.--Pray excuse me, madame, for appearing in morning dress."

"One is always suitably attired in the country, monsieur; and these gentlemen, you will observe, are dressed just as I brought them away from a ball, without giving them time to change their clothes. But you will breakfast with us, I trust?"

"With pleasure, madame."

"Oh, yes!" said La Thoma.s.siniere, shaking Monsieur de Cligneval's hand; "oh, yes! the marquis will have some breakfast; he promised. I'll have some, too."

"Take your seats then, messieurs, and be content with what I have to give you."

Madame gave the marquis a seat by her side; Monsieur de la Thoma.s.siniere would have liked to sit on the marquis's other side, but he was obliged to be content with a seat opposite him. Monsieur de Cligneval did full justice to the breakfast; he declared everything excellent, delicious, exquisite, although La Thoma.s.siniere exhausted his breath saying to him:

"Oh! I usually have much better things to eat. But we didn't know, madame was not notified. I hope to treat you much better another time.

This is an unpretentious repast; but when I choose, I do things very nicely."

While praising the food, Monsieur de Cligneval found time to bestow compliments on the hostess. The marquis was well bred; he carried a little too far perhaps the determination to make his good breeding apparent; but he was agreeable and witty, and the whole party was soon in high spirits, even Monsieur de la Thoma.s.siniere, who never laughed because he thought it bad form, but who laughed very loud now in order to copy monsieur le marquis.

When she pa.s.sed the fruit, Athalie found several that were not ripe.

"These apricots are good for nothing," she said to a servant.

"We must have some better ones than these," cried La Thoma.s.siniere.

"Tell the gardener to bring some at once--the best she can find."

The servant obeyed, and Mademoiselle Tapotte soon arrived with a basket filled with superb fruit, which she handed to Athalie, keeping her eyes on the ground as if she dared not look at the guests; whereas, on the contrary, the young men scrutinized the buxom creature, making comments in undertones, and Monsieur de la Thoma.s.siniere cast furtive glances at her.

"That is right!" said Athalie, as she took the basket, "these are fine.

See, messieurs, they have just been picked; they look much better.--Another time, Tapotte, don't send me green fruit."

"No, madame," said the gardener, with a very awkward curtsy; then she took her leave, much redder than when she came.

"What did you call that stout damsel, madame?" inquired one of the young men.

"Tapotte, monsieur."

"Indeed! that's a queer name."

"It's amusing," said the marquis.

"Yes, very amusing," rejoined La Thoma.s.siniere. And Auguste reflected that the name was well deserved.

"She's not a bad-looking girl," said one of the young men.

"Oh! what can you see that's attractive in that creature?" cried Athalie; "she's heavy and awkward and vulgar."

"Mon Dieu! she's a huge ma.s.s of flesh that moves, and that's all," said the marquis.

"Yes, yes," a.s.sented La Thoma.s.siniere, blushing slightly, "she moves, she moves, and, as monsieur le marquis says, she knows how to do nothing else."

"What are you laughing at, Monsieur Dalville?" Athalie asked Auguste; "at Mademoiselle Tapotte? You have said nothing about her."

"I'll bet that monsieur agrees with me," said the marquis, "and that he sees nothing about her that deserves to be looked at a second time."

"He!" rejoined Athalie; "oh! you don't know him, monsieur; he detects charms under round caps and calico dresses."

"I don't deny it, madame, and I do not think that it is necessary to wear fine clothes in order to be beautiful. As for your gardener, certainly she has neither pretty features nor a pretty figure; but, for all that, her freshness and bloom, her good-natured appearance----"

"Fie, fie, monsieur! fie! hold your tongue! for you are quite capable of perverting these gentlemen. But we have devoted quite enough time to Mademoiselle Tapotte; I hope that monsieur le marquis will do me the honor to come and look at my garden; and if he could be induced to give us this day----"

"Madame, I am too pleasantly situated here to summon courage to refuse, and although I am expected to dine with a Bavarian prince, I cannot resist your charms."

"I count upon you also, messieurs," said Athalie, addressing her other guests; "you must pa.s.s the whole day here. Oh! no refusals! you must do it, or you and I will have a falling-out. I have rooms to give you to-night, and to-morrow morning I will drive you back to Paris in my caleche."

"Yes," said La Thoma.s.siniere, "as the marquis is to stay, you other gentlemen must stay too. There will be more of us, and it will be more amusing. I have some matters to attend to; but, faith, when one has the honor of having a marquis under one's roof, the devil may take the rest."

The young gentlemen attempted to raise some objections on account of their clothes; but the fascinating Athalie once more announced: "I insist upon it!" at the same time bestowing upon them one of the smiles which it is so hard to resist; and that levelled all obstacles. Auguste made no objection at all, being by no means ill pleased to pa.s.s a night at Fleury, and smiling already at certain thoughts that pa.s.sed through his mind.

They left the table. La Thoma.s.siniere seemed determined not to leave the marquis's side for an instant; but that n.o.bleman offered his arm to Athalie for a stroll about the garden, and La Thoma.s.siniere, as he could not take the marquis's other arm, walked on the other side, keeping close at his elbow, and talking constantly to him, although most of the time the marquis made no reply because he preferred to talk with madame.

Auguste took a seat in a grotto made of sh.e.l.ls, not daring to return to the orchard during the day. The other young men had taken possession of the billiard room.

But Athalie, having arrangements to make for the entertainment of her guests, and being determined that the dinner should make them amends for the frugality of the breakfast, soon left Monsieur de Cligneval with her husband. La Thoma.s.siniere instantly seized the marquis's arm and walked on with him, saying:

"Now, let us talk business, monsieur le marquis, for that is my strong point,--business,--especially large affairs, speculations, and--What do you think of my labyrinth?"