Gyp

“ He followed Bijou without speaking, as she trotted along in front of him. She looked so sweet, going backwards and forwards amongst the great pails of milk; her straw hat, covered with lace, tossed carelessly on her fair hair; her morning dress, of pink batiste, fastened up rather high with a safety-pin.
She inspected everything, gave her orders, and settled all kinds of details, without troubling about her cousin any more than if he did not exist; and then, when she had quite finished, she turned towards him, smiling.
"Now, then," she said, "if you would like a stroll, I am at your service." ”

“ Bijou looked at him in amazement, and stammered out:
"It is you who are ridiculous!"
"Oh, yes, of course," he answered, speaking harshly, "it is I who ought to go and sit down, and I am the one who is ridiculous; in fact, I am everything I ought not to be, and I always do everything I ought not to do."
"Whatever is the matter, children?" asked Madame de Bracieux.
M. de Jonzac explained, as he emptied his pipe by tapping it gently against a piece of furniture.
"Heaven have mercy upon us! It is nothing less than Paul quarrelling with Bijou!" ”

“ She was amazed both at the count's admiration, and at the transformation which Jean's dress-coat had made.
Arrayed in this garment of a perfect cut, and which fitted him wonderfully well, the young tutor looked quite at his ease.
"Well," said Henry, coming up to Denyse, "wasn't my idea a bright one? Do you see the difference?"—and then, as she did not answer quickly enough for his liking, he added: "I'll bet anything you don't see it; women never can see those things when it's a question of men." ”

“ Bijou's innocent kiss, given so openly before everyone, had, as a matter of fact, thoroughly upset him rousing again the love which he felt for the young girl, and which he had hoped would remain dormant, since Madame de Nézel was ready to console him with her affection.
Only the evening before he had said to the young widow: "How can I love that child as I love you?" and when he had uttered these words, he had, for the time being, felt his old love for Madame de Nézel returning, and it had seemed to him that Bijou could never inspire the same passion as he had felt for this woman. ”

“ You are very good-hearted, very indulgent. You look upon everyone as all very well in a negative sort of way, but, practically, it is quite another matter."
"Oh, you exaggerate!"
"I exaggerate? Well, then, just mention one man, one only, who is according to your fancy."
"Why, M. de Clagny, for instance!"
"You think he is nice; you like him?" said the marchioness. "Yes, but how? You would not marry him, I presume?"
"Oh, no!" answered Bijou, laughing, "I don't want to marry him."
Just as they were all leaving the table, Jean de Blaye asked:
"Has anyone any commissions for Pont-sur-Loire?" ”

“ Bijou, with her head bent, and a far-away look in her eyes, seemed to be in a dream, quite oblivious of what was going on around her. She started on hearing Pierrot's voice as he called out to her to know whether he was to gather a large bunch.
"There is nothing worrying you, is there, mademoiselle?" asked Monsieur Giraud timidly, as he stroked Patatras gently.
"Oh, no! Why?"
"Because you do not seem quite like yourself; you look rather sad." ”

“ I know very well that if I could, I should send M. Sylvestre back always in the carriage."
"If you like, we can drive him back to-day," said M. de Clagny.
"I should just think I should like to! You are very good to offer me that, because, you know, he is not very, very handsome—my professor—and he will not be any ornament on your coach!"
"Do you think I care anything about that? I am not snobbish, Bijou; not the least bit snobbish."
"But he isn't bad-looking, this fellow," said Jean de Blaye. "He has very fine eyes; they are wonderfully limpid and soft." ”

“ She is quite old enough to marry; she will be twenty-two in November, Bijou!"
"Well, then, Hubert is too young for her; he is only a lad!"
"I should certainly prefer seeing her married to a man rather more settled down; but, if she should care for him, he is of good family, and is wealthy, why should she not marry him as well as any other?"
"Do you really think that Bijou cares for him?" asked M. de Clagny anxiously.
"I don't know anything about it at all," answered the marchioness, laughing; "but anyhow, what can that matter to you? ”

“ Bijou had crossed the court-yard. The heat was very great, and the peacocks, perched on the trunk of a tree that had been felled, looked stupid and ridiculous, whilst the dogs, lying on their sides, with their legs stretched out, were panting under the sun's rays, but were too lazy to look for any shade. [91]
No one was out of doors at that torrid hour, except Pierrot, who, arrayed in a white linen suit, with a wide straw hat on his head, was strolling about under the chestnut trees, which formed a V shaped avenue.
Denyse ran up the steps, and entered the schoolroom like a gust of wind. ”

“ You do not expect to marry Bijou, do you?"
His eyes were moist, and his voice choked as he replied:
"No; I do not expect to! And yet, I beg you to tell your grand-daughter what I have just confessed to you. I am fifty-nine. I have twenty-four thousand pounds a year. I am neither a bad lot, nor am I utterly repulsive-looking, and I love her as no other man can love her."
"But only think that you are—"
"Thirty-eight years older than she is; it is for me that this difference of age is more to be feared. Yes, I know that, and I am willing to accept all the risks of such a disproportion." ”

“ M. Spiegel looked displeased; he knitted his brows, and his placid-looking face suddenly took a hard expression.
"She has told you so?"
Bijou answered with the eagerness and embarrassment of anyone feeling compelled to tell an untruth.
"Oh, no—no, I have just imagined it myself; you know I am so fond of Jeanne! I know all that passes in her mind, and I should be so wretched if I caused her any unhappiness—or even [308] the slightest anxiety; do you understand what I mean?"
"I understand that you are just an angel of goodness, mademoiselle, and that it is no wonder they are all so fond of you!" ”

“ It would be impossible, in my opinion, to be more absolutely and completely mistaken than you are. Never to love anyone?—Bijou!—when there never was anyone who needed to be loved and petted as she does."
"She needs to be loved and petted—yes, I grant that; but she always requires people to love and pet her, and she does not feel the need of loving and petting others in her turn."
"In other words, she is selfish and cold-hearted?" questioned the marchioness, her voice suddenly taking a harsh tone. ”

“ As soon as Bijou had passed through the gateway, she put Patatras to a gallop, for the flies were teasing him dreadfully.
She went along through the hot air, meeting the sun, the burning rays of which fell full on her pretty face without making it red. She did not slacken her pace until she arrived at the narrow lane leading to The Borderettes. It was almost perpendicular, and covered with loose stones, and at the bottom of the little valley, which was very green, in spite of the dry season, the farm, with its white walls and red roof, looked like a perfectly new toy-house. ”

“ Jeanne put her arm round Bijou and, resting her hand on her friend's shoulder, kissed her as she said:
"You must just wait for him in peace, the one 'whom you would like in every respect!' You have plenty of time!"
"No, I have quite decided! Whatever you do now will be useless, for, in spite of what you say, when once the cause of your little misunderstanding [319] has vanished, the misunderstanding will vanish in the same way. There now, kiss me again, and tell me that you love me."
"Well!" said Jean de Blaye, who now appeared with M. Spiegel, "is everyone ready; are we going to rehearse?" ”

“ You were going to say something."
"Yes," he stammered out, scarcely knowing how to put what he wanted to say. "I was going to remark that the design Jean has made for your—for Hebe's dress—"
"Well?"
"Well, it isn't the thing at all; there is too little of it."
"Too little of it? Nonsense!"
"It isn't nonsense. I say it is not the thing for a woman, and especially a young girl like you, to appear like that."
Bijou looked at Paul de Rueille with a bewildered expression on her face, and then burst out laughing.
"Oh, you are queer; you look exactly like a jealous husband." ”

“ I have not your complexion, remember! I am paler than you are, and that pink makes me paler still; and then I am thin, and the little gathered bodice, which shows up your pretty figure to perfection, makes me look no figure at all—it does not matter, though—it's of no importance whatever!"
"What do you mean by saying it is of no importance?"
"Why, yes, don't you see, Bijou dear, that whether one is well or badly dressed, if one is just common-place as I am, one would always pass unnoticed by the side of anyone as beautiful as you are." ”

“ Bijou had gone behind the arm-chair in which her cousin was lounging.
"You must have a very, very bad headache to look as you do," she said, not at all discouraged by his abrupt manner, and noticing his pale face, his drawn features, and his eyes, with dark circles round them, "and for you to own, too, that there is anything the matter with you; because you always set up for being so strong and well. Poor Jean, I do wish you could get rid of it."
She bent forward, and pressing her lips gently on the young man's weary eyelids, remained like that a few seconds. ”

“ I meant that I am fonder of you than all the others are; and, you know, there's some of them very fond of you; there's Paul, for instance, Paul de Rueille—I'm sure he likes you better than he does Bertrade, or his children, better than anyone—even God!"
"Do be quiet!" said Bijou, alarmed, and looking round to see if anyone had heard.
"Don't be in a fright! They are all busy worrying each other; they are not troubling about us. It's quite true what I said, you know; and then Jean, too, and Henry, and Monsieur Giraud! ”

“ She went out by the door opposite the terrace.
"Your grand-daughter is decidedly the most charming girl I have ever come across," remarked M. de Clagny to the marchioness, and then he added sadly; "It is when an old man meets women like that, that he regrets his age."
"I must say," answered Madame de Bracieux, laughing, "that even if you were young, you would not be just the husband I dream of for Bijou." ”

“ Amongst so many lovers, if I had to choose, it would certainly be Giraud that I should prefer."
"An older woman might admire Giraud, because he is handsome—but not a young girl! You see a young girl's one idea is marriage——"
"Then, you have no grudge against Giraud, because, according to you, he is not marriageable, consequently, not to be feared."
"Precisely!"
"Very well, then, and what about me, my dear fellow? Do you think I am marriageable, then? Can you imagine me with my wretched fifteen hundred a year endeavouring to make Bijou happy? ”

“ He was dressed in his best clothes, and his square shoulders and ruddy complexion seemed to stand out against the background of blue sky.
As she stood there, with her eyes lowered, looking as though she had seen nothing, with the sun, which had brightened up the whole country round for her marriage, shining full on her, Bijou was [332] enjoying to the full the bliss of living, of knowing herself beautiful, and of being beloved by everyone.
The sound of her Uncle Alexis' voice as he offered her his arm, and said: "Are you ready?" woke her up out of her ecstasy. ”