"How does it happen that, being as rich and lovely as you are, you have never married?"
"Ah! I was certain that you would ask me that question; I am asked it so often! Bless my soul! monsieur, is there such a terrible hurry about being married, and placing myself under the control of a man who perhaps would not let me do as I wished? I am so happy with my uncle and he is so good, especially when he doesn"t talk about his Crispins and his Lafleurs! really, I tremble at the thought of losing my liberty; and then, I tell you frankly, I have never yet met any man who deserved that I should sacrifice so much to him."
"You are happy, mademoiselle; believe me, you are very wise to remain so; do not risk the repose of your whole life by binding yourself to someone by whom you think that you are loved, and who will betray you in the most dastardly way! No, do not marry."
Caroline gazed at me in amazement; she was silent for a few moments, then she began to laugh, saying:
"You are the first person who ever talked to me like that; I was right in thinking that you did not resemble the rest of the world."
On the day following this conversation, after listening, and laughing heartily the while, to the gallant remarks of a number of young men, Mademoiselle Derbin came, as she was accustomed to do, to the window from which I was gazing at the landscape which stretched out before us.
"Always admiring these mountains, are you not, monsieur?"
"Yes, mademoiselle; I consider this region very interesting."
"Are you a painter, monsieur?"
"No, mademoiselle; I paint a little, however, but simply as an amateur."
"Ah! you paint? in what line?"
"Miniatures."
"Do you paint portraits?"
"I have tried it occasionally."
"Oh! it would be awfully good of you to paint mine. We have a great deal of time to ourselves here. I will give you sittings as often as you choose. I have been painted many times, but I have never thought the likeness good. Will you do it, Monsieur Dalbreuse?"
How can you refuse a lovely woman when she addresses a request to you, with her charming eyes fixed upon yours? Indeed, I had no reason for refusing what she asked.
"I will paint your portrait, mademoiselle, but I do not flatter myself that I shall be more fortunate than those who have done it before."
"Oh! perhaps you will; at all events, what does it matter? It will amuse us, and occupy the time. When shall we begin?"
"Whenever you choose."
"Right away then; we will have a sitting in my uncle"s room; but I must have my hair dressed first, I suppose?"
"No, I prefer to paint you as you are, and not in a ball dress; do not make any preparations at all."
"As you choose."
"I will go for my box of colors."
"And I will go to tell my uncle. Oh! it is awfully good of you."
On going to my room, I found Pettermann humming a tune as he brushed my clothes, which he was always careful to look over to see if there were any b.u.t.tons missing, or any holes in the pockets; and he always repaired the damage.
"Is monsieur going to paint?"
"Yes, Pettermann; and I fancy that we shall stay here a few days longer.
You are not bored here, I hope?"
"No, monsieur, I am never bored anywhere, myself; besides, the wine is good here. By the way, what day of the month is it?"
"The seventeenth."
"The deuce! only the seventeenth! this month is very long!"
I guessed why he asked me the question, and I said to him:
"As you consider the wine good here, as I am enjoying myself, and as it is fair that you should do the same, act as if it were the end of the month."
"Oh, no! a bargain is sacred, monsieur. Since I have been with you, I have learned to respect myself; and if I do get drunk once a month still, it is because I should be sick if I should stop drinking entirely. But never mind; if the wine is good here, the women are terribly inquisitive! prout!"
"The women are inquisitive? How do you know that?"
"Because these last few days they have done nothing but hang round me to try to make me talk."
"Who, pray?"
"At first it was the landlady and the servants in the inn; but when they found that that didn"t work, there was a good-looking young woman who came to me herself, as if by accident."
"A lady who lives in the hotel?"
"Yes, the one with the little uncle who talks all the time."
"Mademoiselle Derbin?"
"Just so."
"What did she ask you?"
"She acted as if she just happened to pa.s.s through the yard where I was; she asked me first: "Are you in Monsieur Dalbreuse"s service?"
""Yes, mademoiselle.""
"You should have told her, Pettermann, that you were travelling with me, but not as my servant."
"Why so, monsieur? I consider myself very lucky to belong to you; and as there must always be one who does what the other says, it is right that you should be the one to give the orders; therefore you are the master."
"What then, Pettermann?"
"Then, that young woman--or rather that lady--continued: "Have you been with Monsieur Dalbreuse long?"
""About two years."