r.

Hearing the mad gallop of Gatien's horse, Madame de la Baudraye fled to
her bedroom, followed by her mother.

"There are no papers at the inn," said Gatien to Lousteau, who went out
to meet him.

"And you found none at the Chateau d'Anzy either?" replied Lousteau.

"You have been making a fool of me," said Gatien, in a cold, set voice.

"Quite so," replied Lousteau. "Madame de la Baudraye was greatly annoyed
by your choosing to follow her without being invited. Believe me, to
bore a woman is a bad way of courting her. Dinah has played you a trick,
and you have given her a laugh; it is more than any of you has done in
these thirteen years past. You owe that success to Bianchon, for your
cousin was the author of the Farce of the 'Manuscript.'--Will the horse
get over it?" asked Lousteau with a laugh, while Gatien was wondering
whether to be angry or not.

"The horse!" said Gatien.

At this moment Madame de la Baudraye came in, dressed in a velvet gown,
and accompanied by her mother, who shot angry flashes at Lousteau. It
would have been too rash for Dinah to seem cold or severe to Lousteau
in Gatien's presence; and Etienne, taking advantage of this, offered his
arm to the supposed Lucretia; however, she declined it.

"Do you mean to cast off a man who has vowed to live for you?" said
he, walking close beside her. "I shall stop at Sancerre and go home
to-morrow."

"Are you coming, mamma?" said Madame de la Baudraye to Madame Piedefer,
thus avoiding a reply to the direct challenge by which Lousteau was
forcing her to a decision.

Lousteau handed the mother into the chaise, he helped Madame de la
Baudraye by gently taking her arm, and he and Gatien took the front
seat, leaving the saddle horse at La Baudraye.

"You have changed your gown," said Gatien, blunderingly, to Dinah.

"Madame la Baronne was chilled by the cool air off the river," replied
Lousteau. "Bianchon advised her to put on a warm dress."

Dinah turned as red as a poppy, and Madame Piedefer assumed a stern
expression.

"Poor Bianchon! he is on the road to Paris. A noble soul!" said
Lousteau.

"Oh, yes!" cried Madame de la Baudraye, "he is high-minded, full of
delicate feeling----"

"We were in such good spirits when we set out," said Lousteau; "now
you are overdone, and you speak to me so bitterly--why? Are you not
accustomed to being told how handsome and how clever you are? For my
part, I say boldly, before Gatien, I give up Paris; I