"Oh! how mad you make me! I suppose we ought all to tie ourselves together, for fear of losing each other, eh? Besides, how do you know that they are not just as well pleased not to have us on their heels?" "Why so?" "_Why so_ is delicious! If you can't see that your friend's making soft eyes at that lady, you must be near-sighted." "Do you think so? He won't get ahead very fast." "What do you know about it? Oh! these men! such conceit! Because she wouldn't have you, perhaps, you think she won't have anybody!--Let's not walk so fast!" "That lady is very willing to laugh and jest; but with her it isn't safe to----" "Ta! ta! ta! Bless my soul! she's a goddess, perhaps, and we must offer sacrifices to her!--Come, kiss me!" "O Rosette! can you think of such a thing?" "Yes, I do think of such a thing; kiss me at once!" "Suppose the others should turn and see us--what should we look like?" "We should look like two people kissing. What harm is there in that? Don't they know that you're my lover and I'm your mistress?" "That's no reason. There is such a thing as propriety." "Oh! I have no patience with you! Kiss me quick, or I'll shriek!" I kissed her. Luckily, the others did not turn. I dropped my companion's arm on the pretext of looking for violets, and overtook our friends. "What makes you walk so fast?" I asked Balloquet; "if you prefer not to stay with us, that's a different matter; but it isn't very sociable." Frédérique burst out laughing, and Balloquet made signs to me which I considered foolish. "See how the kindest intentions are sometimes misinterpreted," said Frédérique; "we thought that we were doing you a favor, by arranging a tête-à-tête for you with your pretty brunette." "Oh! madame, you carry your kindness too far." "So far as I am concerned," said Balloquet, "you needn't thank me; in remaining with madame, I acted entirely in my own interest." Then he came close to me and whispered: "My friend, she is adorable! Wit to the tips of her finger-nails; fine figure, lovely eyes, distinguished face, original disposition! I can't understand why you've never been in love with her. For my part, I'm caught; I'm in for it!" "You are making a mistake; you'll waste your time." "Why so? nobody knows! She laughs heartily at what I say." "Well! what about that bunch of violets?" asked Rosette, as she joined us. "I didn't find anything but dandelions and coltsfoot." "Thanks! then you can keep your bouquet; I don't want it." "Suppose we stroll back in the direction of our dinner?" said Frédérique. "Yes, madame is right," said Rosette; "especially as walking's very monotonous. I have a lover who's in such low spirits to-day! Imagine, madame, that he's never suggested rolling on the grass with me!" Frédérique cast a mocking glance in my direction. "If my companion had made such a proposition to me," murmured Balloquet, puffing himself up, "I should have accepted with thanks; I would have rolled like an ass."