er love you."

"Good heavens! it cannot be possible!" he cried, again clasping his
hands toward Camille, who was greatly moved on seeing the joy that she
gave him at her own expense.

"Now listen to me carefully," she said. "If you break the agreement
between us, if you have--not a long conversation--but a mere exchange of
words with the marquise in private, if you let her question you, if you
fail in the silent part I ask you to play, which is certainly not a very
difficult one, I do assure you," she said in a serious tone, "you will
lose her forever."

"I don't understand the meaning of what you are saying to me," cried
Calyste, looking at Camille with adorable naivete.

"If you did understand it, you wouldn't be the noble and beautiful
Calyste that you are," she replied, taking his hand and kissing it.

Calyste then did what he had never before done; he took Camille round
the waist and kissed her gently, not with love but with tenderness,
as he kissed his mother. Mademoiselle des Touches did not restrain her
tears.

"Go now," she said, "my child; and tell your viscountess that my
carriage is at her command."

Calyste wanted to stay longer, but he was forced to obey her imperious
and imperative gesture.

He went home gaily; he believed that in a week the beautiful Beatrix
would love him. The players at _mouche_ found him once more the Calyste
they had missed for the last two months. Charlotte attributed this
change to herself. Mademoiselle de Pen-Hoel was charming to him. The
Abbe Grimont endeavored to make out what was passing in the mother's
mind. The Chevalier du Halga rubbed his hands. The two old maids were as
lively as lizards. The viscountess lost one hundred sous by accumulated
_mouches_, which so excited the cupidity of Zephirine that she
regretted not being able to see the cards, and even spoke sharply to her
sister-in-law, who acted as the proxy of her eyes.

The party lasted till eleven o'clock. There were two defections, the
baron and the chevalier, who went to sleep in their respective chairs.
Mariotte had made galettes of buckwheat, the baroness produced a
tea-caddy. The illustrious house of du Guenic served a little supper
before the departure of its guests, consisting of fresh butter, fruits,
and cream, in addition to Mariotte's cakes; for which festal event
issued from their wrappings a silver teapot and some beautiful old
English china sent to the baroness by her aunts. This appearance of