FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85  
86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   >>   >|  
t looked much prettier in the shop window." She closed the casket, and threw it carelessly on to a small table near her. "I am unfortunate this evening," said the advocate, much mortified. "How so?" "I see plainly the bracelet does not please you." "Oh, but it does. I think it lovely . . . besides, it will complete the two dozen." It was now Noel's turn to say: "Ah! . . ." and as Juliette said nothing, he added: "Well, if you are pleased, you do not show it." "Oh! so that is what you are driving at!" cried the lady. "I am not grateful enough to suit you! You bring me a present, and I ought at once to pay cash, fill the house with cries of joy, and throw myself upon my knees before you, calling you a great and magnificent lord!" Noel was unable this time to restrain a gesture of impatience, which Juliette perceived plainly enough, to her great delight. "Would that be sufficient?" continued she. "Shall I call Charlotte, so that she may admire this superb bracelet, this monument of your generosity? Shall I have the concierge up, and call the cook to tell them how happy I am to possess such a magnificent lover." The advocate shrugged his shoulders like a philosopher, incapable of noticing a child's banter. "What is the use of these insulting jests?" said he. "If you have any real complaint against me, better to say so simply and seriously." "Very well," said Juliette, "let us be serious. And, that being so, I will tell you it would have been better to have forgotten the bracelet, and to have brought me last night or this morning the eight thousand francs I wanted." "I could not come." "You should have sent them; messengers are still to be found at the street-corners." "If I neither brought nor sent them, my dear Juliette, it was because I did not have them. I had trouble enough in getting them promised me for to-morrow. If I have the sum this evening, I owe it to a chance upon which I could not have counted an hour ago; but by which I profited, at the risk of compromising myself." "Poor man!" said Juliette, with an ironical touch of pity in her voice. "Do you dare to tell me you have had difficulty in obtaining ten thousand francs,--you?" "Yes,--I!" The young woman looked at her lover, and burst into a fit of laughter. "You are really superb when you act the poor young man!" said she. "I am not acting." "So you say, my own. But I see what you are aiming at. This amiable confession i
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85  
86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Juliette

 

bracelet

 

thousand

 
superb
 
brought
 

evening

 
looked
 

magnificent

 

advocate

 

francs


plainly
 

street

 

messengers

 

wanted

 

simply

 
complaint
 

morning

 

forgotten

 

corners

 
laughter

difficulty

 
obtaining
 

amiable

 

confession

 

aiming

 

acting

 

promised

 
morrow
 

trouble

 

chance


counted

 

ironical

 

compromising

 

insulting

 

profited

 

pleased

 

present

 

grateful

 

driving

 

casket


carelessly

 

closed

 

prettier

 

window

 

lovely

 

complete

 
unfortunate
 

mortified

 

possess

 

monument