"That was your Waterloo! I am sure that it will remain engraved on your memory! I say, I'll bet that you'd rather go up the Marly hill seven times in succession than go through that day's work again, eh?" "I believe you. There is one Dame Piquette, in particular, who lives on Rue aux Ours. Sapristi! I didn't feel at all comfortable in my tête-à-tête with her!" "Did she make eyes at you? I'll bet she made eyes at you! She's an old coquette, who declares that she can't go out without being besieged. Oh! my poor Charles!" "But all that would have been nothing, mademoiselle, if I had succeeded in finding you. It would seem that you accept hospitality elsewhere than with your aunts?" Rosette made a little grimace, which I interpreted as meaning that she did not quite know what course to adopt; at last she said: "I was with one of my friends. My aunts are always at me to get married, and that tires me; I shall end by dropping all of 'em." "I should say that you were doing that already." "Come, let's not say any more about that. We're not cross any more, are we? and you'll take me out to dinner, and we'll have a nice little feed--what do you say? Yes, you will, it's all settled; and we'll go into the country--it's a fine day--and roll on the grass." How can one resist a pretty minx who proposes rolling on the grass? I was on the point of signing the treaty of peace with Mademoiselle Rosette, when the bell rang. "My dear girl," I said to my grisette, "if it should happen to be the lady who was here the other day, I trust that you won't make another scene?" "No, no, don't be afraid; I saw that I was wrong; she left me in possession with such a good grace! I don't bear your friend any grudge now." At that moment, we detected a strong odor of essence of rose, and Rosette exclaimed: "_Dame!_ that lady uses plenty of perfumery! what a sachet bag!" But the door opened, and no lady appeared, but Balloquet, in his best clothes and with fresh gloves. "Oh! I beg pardon, my dear Rochebrune! You are with a lady, and your servant didn't tell me! I will go, and come again another day." "No, stay, Balloquet, stay; mademoiselle will not object.--Isn't that so, Rosette? you are willing that my friend should stay?" "To be sure! I'm no savage; company don't scare me." And Rosette put her mouth to my ear and whispered: "Is he a perfumer?" "No; a doctor." "A doctor! Does he treat his patients with essences? He gives out such an odor--you'd think he was the Grand Turk!" Balloquet meanwhile said to me in an undertone: "Good! I don't frighten this one away! She isn't like the little blonde." "Oh, no! she's not the same sort at all." Balloquet had been with us but a moment, when the bell rang again, and this time Frédérique appeared. "The servant told me that there were three of you," she said, dropping carelessly upon a chair; "and that's why I ventured to come in. Did I do wrong, Rochebrune?"