"Ah, yes! For sure, she isn't a young lady like you, mademoiselle! But ever since she has known M. de Bernes, I can tell you, she won't look at anyone else. And he's the same, as far as that goes, and that's saying a good deal, for, nice-looking as he is, there's plenty of ladies after him, ladies in the best society, too, in officers' families; and they do say the Prefect's wife admires him! Oh, my, he doesn't care a snap for them all, though! He's got no eyes for anyone but Lisette; but you should see him when he's looking at her--it's pretty sure that if he was an officer of high rank he'd marry her straight off, and he'd be quite right, too--" "Jeanne!" interrupted Bijou, "that's the first bell for luncheon." And when they were out of the room she said, in a very gentle voice, with just a shade of reproach: "Why do you let Mere Rafut tell you things you ought not to listen to?" "Oh, goodness!" cried Jeanne, blushing and looking confused, "her story wasn't so very dreadful; and then, even if it had been, how do you think I could help her telling it?" "Oh! that's easy enough, the only thing to do is not to reply or pay any attention; you would see that she would soon stop." "Yes, you are right," and throwing her arms round Bijou, Jeanne kissed her. "You are always right," she said; "and I, although I look so serious, am much more thoughtless than you, and much weaker-minded, too; I never can resist listening if it is anything that interests me." "And did that interest you?" "Very much, indeed." "Good heavens! what could you find interesting in it all?" "Well, I don't exactly know; I was curious to hear about it, in the first place, and then I always notice everything, and this little story explained exactly something I had observed." "When?" "Why, during the last four or five months, ever since I have begun going out a little." "What had you observed?" "I had observed that M. de Bernes never pays attention to any woman, that he never even looks at anyone, that he scarcely takes the trouble to be pleasant, even with the prettiest girls; and the proof of all this is, that he has not tried to flirt with you even." "Oh, not at all," answered Bijou, laughing; "but just because he has not tried to flirt with me, you must not conclude that with others." "No, Mere Rafut must be right, and, after all, I am not at all surprised about it--this story, I mean; you have no idea how charming she is, this Lisette Renaud. Something in your style; she is much taller than you, though, and not so fair; but she has the most wonderful eyes, and a lovely, graceful figure, almost as graceful as yours; in short, I can quite understand that, when anyone does care for her, they would care for her in earnest; then, added to all that, she has a great deal of talent and a beautiful voice--a contralto. I am sure you would like her." "I don't think so." "Why?"