XVII
AN OLD FRIEND
The lady"s maid went to the door. Madame de Grangeville took her place anew before her dressing-table, and arranged her cap and her hair. To try to attract, to appear young, was in her a desire so identified with her nature, that she would go to look at herself in her mirror before allowing a chimney sweep to enter her room.
But no one appeared; she heard only the sound of voices in the reception room. It lasted some time, and Madame de Grangeville, who divined what was happening, threw herself back in her chair and began to look over the newspaper as if what were going on in her reception room did not concern her.
After some little time the outer door closed and Mademoiselle Lizida reappeared, crying:
"Heavens! how unendurable those people are getting to be! They have no manners at all; I thought that it would never end."
"Who was it?"
"Mon Dieu! it was that idiot of a grocer opposite, who has taken it into his head to come himself now."
"The grocer! what on earth can I owe to a grocer? I don"t eat here, that is to say, I send out for everything."
"To be sure, no cooking is done in madame"s apartment, but I make her chocolate; and then candles,--madame uses a great many of them; and I have to have oil for the lamps, and then sugar--we can"t get along without sugar--and tea, and coffee--I take coffee in the morning. And then soap, and matches, and I don"t know what; there"s no end to the things, although we seem not to need anything.--In fact, he demands a total of ninety-six francs!"
"As much as that for trifles?"
"Yes, madame. I tell you the sugar goes fast, when one drinks tea!"
"Well, I will pay him when I have money."
"That"s what I told him; but would you believe, madame, that he had the face to reply: "Your mistress has money enough to hire cabs, for she goes out in them often enough; she ought to have some to pay her grocer!""
"What a shocking thing! Why, it is disgusting! The idea! I must stop to think before taking a cab, because of a miserable creditor!"
"Yes, madame, things have got to that point. That is the result of our revolutions."
"Lizida, you will get nothing more at that man"s shop, I forbid you!"
"Oh! madame has no need to forbid me, there"s no danger of my going there again; besides, he wouldn"t let me have anything more on credit!
He says that if he doesn"t get his money in two days he"ll go before the justice of the peace."
"All right! let him go before his justice of the peace! I won"t go myself, that"s all.--How unfortunate it is to have to do with such people!--Heavens!--someone else is ringing; can it be that that clown has come back?"
"This time I will take my broom, and if it"s the grocer again, I will sweep his legs out from under him!"
Mademoiselle Lizida went out in a rage. Madame de Grangeville listened, this time with some little emotion; but she heard no voices, it was evidently not a creditor. The maid reappeared with a very different expression.
"Monsieur de Merval asks if he may present his respects to madame la baronne?"
"Yes, to be sure; show him in."
And the baroness made haste to cast another glance at the mirror, to arrange her hair and to a.s.sume a gracious att.i.tude in her easy-chair.
Monsieur de Merval was ushered into the room; he entered with the exquisite courtesy which distinguished him, and took a chair near Madame de Grangeville, who said to him with her most engaging smile:
"I am very glad that you remembered the promise that you gave me at Monsieur Glumeau"s. I did not rely very much upon it."
"Why so, madame? Do you think that I also was not delighted to meet again, to see once more, a person who carried me back to the pleasant days of my youth--in memory, to be sure; but those memories are too agreeable ever to be effaced entirely."
"Dear Armand!--I beg pardon, will you permit me still to call you so?"
"It is a token of friendship for which I thank you."
"I was unmarried when I knew you; we used to meet often at parties; then you came to my uncle"s house."
"Yes, madame, yes, the evenings at your uncle"s were delightful; you did the honors with such grace; so that we rated ourselves as very fortunate when we were on the list of your guests."
"Yes, we used to have music and singing. Do you remember little Dumesnil, how false she sang?"
"I remember especially that you sang like an angel. We used to dance, too, quite often."
"Yes, while the sober people played whist or bouillotte. You waltzed divinely, Armand; you were our best waltzer."
"True, the waltz was my specialty."
"And you never were able to make tall Adele Brillange dance in time; do you remember her--rather a pretty blonde?"
"Really, I hardly remember her. Just remember that that was fully twenty-three or twenty-four years ago!"
Madame de Grangeville bit her lips, not at all pleased to find that her old acquaintance remembered dates so well.
"Do you still waltz, Monsieur de Merval?"
"Oh! that is all over, madame; I have had my day."
"Bless my soul! to hear you, one would think that we belonged to the age of Louis XV!"
"No one would think so to look at you, madame; time has stood still for you."
This compliment restored the serenity of Madame de Grangeville"s expression, and she replied, simpering a little:
"Ah! you are always agreeable; would that I were back in those happy days! Tell me, Armand, if I remember aright, you used to pay court to me then,--yes, you were very attentive to me."
Monsieur de Merval seemed decidedly embarra.s.sed; he glanced about the salon and replied at last:
"I don"t deny it, madame, but I remember also that as soon as the Comte de Brevanne was introduced to you, discovering that his love was welcomed with enthusiasm, I thought only of making an honorable retreat; and I was wise, as the count became your husband."
"Yes, he became my husband."
"It was a love match, was it not, madame?"