"Fortune! hum! that"s not so easy. Women don"t often make their fortunes in Paris, when they have no other means of earning money than their needle. But, when you came to Paris, you probably knew that you would find a friend here, a wealthy protector, who could start you at once on the road to the fortune to which you aspire?"
"No, monsieur," Georgette replied coldly; "I did not come to Paris to meet anyone, and I shall find a way myself to reach the end I have in view."
Once more the old beau bit his lips and glanced about the room.
"It"s impossible to tell how to take the girl; she"s always on her guard!" he said to himself. "I shall not succeed with her so quickly as I thought. But, it doesn"t make much difference, I have plenty of time.
I must find her sensitive spot.--Are you fond of the play, mademoiselle?" he asked.
"Oh! yes, monsieur, very!"
"Do you go often?"
"Most rarely, monsieur. In the first place, I have no acquaintances in Paris; and for a young girl to go to the theatre alone is hardly proper."
"I have found the weak point in the shield," thought Mardeille; and he rejoined:
"Well, my charming neighbor, I will escort you to the theatre, with your permission. We will have a little screened box; it will be very comfortable, like being at home."
"I don"t know what your little screened boxes are, monsieur; but when I go to the play, I don"t go to hide myself; I want to see and be seen."
"Ah! you want to be seen! What a coquette!"
"It is not from coquetry. But, monsieur, you cannot think that I would go to the play with such an elegant person as you, in the modest costume that I wear."
"I presume that you would not go in this jacket and this short skirt, although the costume is divinely becoming to you! On my word, you are bewitching so!"
"No, of course, I would not go out in a jacket; but my best costume is very modest: a cotton gown, a little cap, a knitted fichu--that"s my attire!"
"What! haven"t you a bonnet--a tiny bonnet?"
"No, monsieur, I haven"t."
The elderly dandy moved about in his chair, seemed to reflect, and said, at last:
"After all, you must be fascinating in a cap. Besides, we can take a cab. Is it settled? I will take you to-night, if you agree."
"What, monsieur! do you mean to say that you would take to the theatre a woman in a cotton dress, cap, and a fichu instead of a shawl?"
"I do; I am entirely free from prejudices. I would like to take you in the costume you have on, if it were possible."
"Well, upon my word! I wouldn"t have believed that!"
"That proves how dearly I love you, I hope."
Georgette shook her head as she replied:
"Why, no, it doesn"t prove it at all. However, monsieur, I have more self-esteem than you. I have enough respect for your exalted rank to avoid compromising it. Fie, monsieur! what would people think of you if they saw you with a woman in a cap on your arm?"
"But we shall take a cab."
"We shall not go into the theatre in a cab! Ha! ha! And as I don"t propose to hide myself in a screened box, when I am once in the theatre everyone will have plenty of time to admire my costume."
Monsieur de Mardeille rose and paced the floor, and for some time he did not speak; at last he said:
"What do you need to go to the theatre with me, my lovely child?"
"Why, almost everything: a silk dress; they have such nice things ready-made now, that it will be easy enough to find one that will fit me. And a pretty bonnet, and a fine shawl--cashmere, or something like it,--and gloves--nice kid gloves."
Monsieur de Mardeille began to pace the floor again, dissembling with difficulty the grimace that had replaced his amiable air. Suddenly he looked into the courtyard and exclaimed:
"Ah! I believe I have visitors! Yes, they have come to see me. Au revoir, my charming neighbor; a thousand pardons for leaving you so abruptly!"
"Oh! pray don"t mind me, monsieur!"
Our dandy was already at the door; he returned hurriedly to his own apartment, with an exceedingly ill-humored expression; and when Frontin inquired:
"Did the shirtmaker take monsieur"s measure?" he angrily replied:
"Hold your tongue, you imbecile! I forbid you ever to mention that grisette to me."
XII
LOVE! LOVE! WHEN THOU HAST TAKEN US CAPTIVE!
A week pa.s.sed. Monsieur de Mardeille had not called again upon Georgette; he had not stationed himself at his rear windows; but he had stolen many a glance through the gla.s.s, by raising a corner of the curtain. He had seen his young neighbor, as alert and alluring and graceful as ever, going to and fro in her modest apartment; then sitting down to work at her window; then rising and sitting down again; and every movement of the pretty shirtmaker made his heart beat fast. He had given Frontin a kick in the hind quarters, when that worthy ventured to laugh inanely because his master raised the curtain.
He was somewhat flattered by the fact that, although Georgette responded affably enough to the salutations of her other neighbors, he had never seen one of them in her room; so that she had really done him a favor by consenting to receive him.
At the end of a week, he said to himself:
"After all, it was on my account, it was in my interest, to avoid compromising me, that the girl insisted upon being well dressed before she would go out on my arm. I can"t be angry with her for that: it was a very excusable motive. But then I must send her all that she lacks.
Pardieu! I am well able to do it! That is not the question--no--but it isn"t my custom; I have never spent money on women. I know that once doesn"t make a custom; but, for all that, I don"t like it. But that girl is obstinate and strong-willed; if I don"t send her what she wants, I shall have to abandon the pursuit. And I don"t want to abandon it! I dream of her every night. I see her slender figure, her rounded hips, which her little black skirt hugs so closely. Well! I must buy her this finery. I won"t go so far as the cashmere--no, indeed, I"m not such a fool! But when a man goes so far as to play the gallant, he must do things properly. At my age, it"s very unpleasant to change one"s habits.
Why in the devil did that provoking grisette take up her abode in my house? right opposite me? under my nose? It"s a fatality!"
Love, and self-esteem, which is quite as strong as its brother, carried the day at last. One morning Georgette received the shawl, the bonnet, the dress, and even the kid gloves, with this brief note written by her stylish neighbor:
"Now will you go to the theatre with me to-night?"
And Georgette replied, to the messenger:
"Yes, I will go."