austed he had recourse to another, the nature of which proved that if
the expected beauty had not punctuality for a virtue, she was not one of
those little exacting creatures always ready to faint or whose delicate
nerves make them intolerant of their lovers' imperfections. Plunging his
hand into one of the pockets in his redingote, the waiting cavalier drew
out a sealskin case filled with Havana cigars, and, lighting one, began
to smoke, while continuing his promenade.

But at the end of a few moments this palliative, like the first, had
exhausted its effect.

"Twenty-five minutes past eight!" exclaimed Marillac, as he looked at his
watch a second time; "I should like to know what this little miniature
rose takes me for? It was hardly worth the trouble of over-straining this
poor horse, who looks as wet as if he had come out of the river. It is
enough to give him inflammation of the lungs. If Bergenheim were to see
him sweating and panting like this in this bleak wind, he would give me a
sound blowing-up. Upon my word, it is becoming comical! There are no more
young girls! I shall see her appear presently as spruce and conceited as
if she had been playing the finest trick in the world. It will do for
once; but if we sojourn in these quarters some time yet, she must be
educated and taught to say, 'If you please' and 'Thanks.' Ah! ha! she has
no idea what sort of man she is dealing with! Half past eight! If she is
not here in five minutes I shall go to La Fauconnerie and raise a
terrible uproar. I will break every bit of crockery there is in the
'Femme-sans-Tete' with blows from my whip. What can I do to kill time?"
He raised his head quickly, as he felt himself suddenly almost smothered
under a shower of dust. This was a fatal movement for him, for his eyes
received part of the libation destined for his hair. He closed them with
a disagreeable sensation, after seeing Mademoiselle Reine Gobillot's
fresh, chubby face, her figure prim beyond measure in a lilac-and-green
plaid gingham dress, and carrying a basket on her arm, a necessary burden
to maidens of a certain class who play truant.

"What sort of breeding is this?" exclaimed Marillac, rubbing his eyes;
"you have made me dance attendance for an hour and now you have blinded
me. I do not like this at all, you understand."

"How you scold me, just for a little pinch of dust!" replied Reine,
turning as red as a cherry as she threw the remainder of the handful
which s