"It is probably a room in which they never put more than two." "No matter. Give your order quickly, monsieur, for I am awfully hungry." "I would like to know what you prefer." "Oh! I like everything." "And there is nothing that I don't like; so the matter can be easily arranged." Dupont ordered a choice, toothsome dinner, with a great variety of wines. He attempted to sit on a sofa beside Georgette; but she compelled him to sit opposite her, on the other side of the table. "You would be in my way at dinner," she said; "and I don't like to be hampered when I am eating." "I must not annoy her," said Dupont to himself. "I must go softly, for I have much to be forgiven for. Let's wait till the generous wines arrive." Georgette did honor to the dinner; but she drank very little, although her companion did his utmost to induce her to, crying, as he filled her glass with beaune première: "Above all things, don't put water in this wine; it would be downright murder! It's the most delicious beaune there is." "That makes absolutely no difference to me," replied the girl. "I never drink pure wine. I prefer it with water." "That's all right with common wines. But this, which costs four francs a bottle--it's sacrilege to put water in it!" "In that case, my dear Monsieur Dupont, you shouldn't have ordered anything but common wines; then you wouldn't have exposed me to the risk of committing crimes." Dupont was vexed; but, to compensate himself for his disappointment, he was very careful to drink his own beaune pure, and he resorted to it frequently, to keep up his courage and his gayety. He was beginning to risk an affectionate word or two, when Georgette abruptly interposed, saying: "Is madame your wife pretty?" Dupont frowned, as he replied: "Quite--but not so well built as you--far from it! Ah! if she had your enchanting figure!" "Are her eyes black or blue?" "They are--they are green, like a cat's." "Oh! what a misfortune! You say that your wife has eyes like a cat's?" "What do I care?--And your mouth is so lovely! Your smile charms me beyond words!" "And her teeth--are they fine?" "Whose teeth?" "Your wife's." "Mon Dieu! mademoiselle, don't you propose to talk about anything but my wife? I will confess that I didn't ask you to dine with me in order to hear you talk about her." "That may be; but the subject is very interesting to me." "Must I tell you again, my lovely Georgette, that in Paris I have no wife, that I am a bachelor again?" "True; I know perfectly well that you would like to make people think so. But, after all, my dear Monsieur Dupont, you may be quite sure of one thing, and that is that it's a matter of indifference to me whether you are married or single." Dupont wondered how he ought to take that. He concluded to look upon it as an omen favorable to his love, and filled his neighbor's glass with grenache, saying: "This is a lady's wine, very sweet, which won't stand water. Taste it, I beg you."