"Oh, no!" said Bijou, with evident sincerity; "not at all--I am not so fond as all that of young people generally; and, above all, I cannot endure young men about the age of M. de Bernes." "Yes, I remember that you told me that once before; you said so the first time I saw you; it was here in this room, when we were waiting together for the arrival of your guests to dinner." Denyse laughed. "Well, what a memory you have!" "Always, when it is a question of you." And then, in a voice which trembled slightly, he asked: "Do you remember something you said to me yesterday?" "Yesterday?" "Yes, yesterday, when I was holding you in my arms, and you were nestling against me like a little trembling bird!" Bijou appeared to be trying to remember what it was. She opened her large eyes wide, and they looked just then like pale violets. "No, I don't know what it was; I don't remember! I was a little upset after my accident, you know!" And then, as M. de Clagny remained silent, she asked: "Tell me, what could I have said that was so interesting?" He repeated her words slowly, watching Bijou all the time attentively, as she listened with an amused air, her pretty lips parted. "You said, 'I am so happy like this; I should like to stay here always.'" "I don't remember saying that; but, anyhow, I was quite right, because it was perfectly true, you know!" He drew Bijou to him, and asked: "Truly, would it not alarm you to see me always near you like that?" "Why, no, it would not alarm me! Oh, no, not at all!" "Really and truly?" "Really and truly! but why do you ask me that?" "Oh, for no reason at all. Do you know whether Madame de Bracieux is up yet?" "She does not get up before half-past eight or nine o'clock, especially when she is up late like last night; it was nearly two o'clock when we came in!" "And you are just as fresh-looking and as pretty as though you had slept all night. Really, though, I should very much like to see Madame de Bracieux." "You want to speak to her yourself, or is it any message I can take to her from you?" "No; I want to speak to her myself." "Well, you know she will probably keep you waiting 'a spell,' as they say in this part of the world." "Well, I will wait." Bijou looked at M. de Clagny in surprise. He was pacing up and down the long room. "What's the matter?" she asked at last, in her curiosity, "for there certainly is something the matter!" "Oh, no!" "Oh, yes! You keep marching backwards and forwards. That reminds me--one day I saw Paul de Rueille pacing about like that." "I saw him, too; it was the night of the La Balue, Juzencourt & Co.'s dinner, whilst you were singing." "No, oh, no! It was one day when he had some ridiculous duel, and he did not know whether it would be better to tell Bertrade, or not to tell her." "And what did he do?" "I fancy he did not tell her anything about it." "Oh, well, he had more pluck than I have." "Have you a duel on?" Bijou asked impetuously.