"You are a frightful man, Malicorne; I was going to rejoice at getting this commission, and thus you quench my joy."
"Good; there is no time lost,you will rejoice when I am gone."
"Go, then; and after"
"So be it; but in the first place, a piece of advice."
"What is it?"
"Resume your goodhumor,you are ugly when you pout."
"Coarse!"
"Come, let us tell the truth to each other, while we are about it."
"Oh, Malicorne! Badhearted man!"
"Oh, Montalais! Ungrateful girl!"
The young man leant with his elbow upon the windowframe; Montalais took a book and opened it. Malicorne stood up, brushed his hat with his sleeve, smoothed down his black doublet;Montalais, though pretending to read, looked at him out of the corner of her eye.
"Good!" cried she, furious; "he has assumed his respectful airand he will pout for a week."
"A fortnight, mademoiselle," said Malicorne, bowing.
Montalais lifted up her little doubled fist. "Monster!" said she; "oh! that I were a man!"
"What would you do to me?"
"I would strangle you."
"Ah! very well, then," said Malicorne; "I believe I begin to desire something."
"And what do you desire, Monsieur Demon? That I should lose my soul from anger?"
Malicorne was rolling his hat respectfully between his fingers; but, all at once, he let fall his hat, seized the young girl by the shoulders, pulled her towards him, and sealed her mouth with two lips that were very warm, for a man pretending to so much indifference. Aure would have cried out, but the cry was stifled in his kiss. Nervous and, apparently, angry, the young girl pushed Malicorne against the wall.
"Good!" said Malicorne, philosophically, "that's enough for six weeks. Adieu, mademoiselle, accept my very humble salutation." And he made three steps towards the door.
"Well! no,you shall not go!" cried Montalais, stamping with her little foot. "Stay where you are! I order you!"
"You order me?"
"You are a frightful man, Malicorne; I was going to rejoice at getting this commission, and thus you quench my joy."
"Good; there is no time lost,you will rejoice when I am gone."
"Go, then; and after"
"So be it; but in the first place, a piece of advice."
"What is it?"
"Resume your goodhumor,you are ugly when you pout."
"Coarse!"
"Come, let us tell the truth to each other, while we are about it."
"Oh, Malicorne! Badhearted man!"
"Oh, Montalais! Ungrateful girl!"
The young man leant with his elbow upon the windowframe; Montalais took a book and opened it. Malicorne stood up, brushed his hat with his sleeve, smoothed down his black doublet;Montalais, though pretending to read, looked at him out of the corner of her eye.
"Good!" cried she, furious; "he has assumed his respectful airand he will pout for a week."
"A fortnight, mademoiselle," said Malicorne, bowing.
Montalais lifted up her little doubled fist. "Monster!" said she; "oh! that I were a man!"
"What would you do to me?"
"I would strangle you."
"Ah! very well, then," said Malicorne; "I believe I begin to desire something."
"And what do you desire, Monsieur Demon? That I should lose my soul from anger?"
Malicorne was rolling his hat respectfully between his fingers; but, all at once, he let fall his hat, seized the young girl by the shoulders, pulled her towards him, and sealed her mouth with two lips that were very warm, for a man pretending to so much indifference. Aure would have cried out, but the cry was stifled in his kiss. Nervous and, apparently, angry, the young girl pushed Malicorne against the wall.
"Good!" said Malicorne, philosophically, "that's enough for six weeks. Adieu, mademoiselle, accept my very humble salutation." And he made three steps towards the door.
"Well! no,you shall not go!" cried Montalais, stamping with her little foot. "Stay where you are! I order you!"
"You order me?"
"Yes; am I not mistress?"
"Of my heart and soul, without doubt."
"A pretty property! ma foi! The soul is silly and the heart dry."
"Beware, Montalais, I know you," said Malicorne; "you are going to fall in love with your humble servant."
"Well, yes!" said she, hanging round his neck with childish indolence, rather than with loving abandonment. "Well, yes! for I must thank you at least."
"And for what?"
"For the commission; is it not my whole future?"
"And mine."
Montalais looked at him.
"It is frightful," said she, "that one can never guess whether you are speaking seriously or not."
"I cannot speak more seriously. I was going to Paris,you are going there,we are going there."
"And so it was for that motive only you have served me; selfish fellow!"
"What would you have me say, Aure? I cannot live without you."
"Well! in truth, it is just so with me; you are, nevertheless, it must be confessed, a very badhearted young man."
"Aure, my dear Aure, take care! if you take to calling me names again, you know the effect they produce upon me, and I shall adore you." And so saying, Malicorne drew the young girl a second time towards him. But at that instant a step resounded on the staircase. The young people were so close, that they would have been surprised in the arms of each other, if Montalais had not violently pushed Malicorne, with his back against the door, just then opening. A loud cry, followed by angry reproaches, immediately resounded. It was Madame de SaintRemy who uttered the cry and the angry words. The unlucky Malicorne almost crushed her between the wall and the door she was coming in at.