"Oh! but you're a gallant _à la rose_, you are! Why, I almost had to force monsieur to kiss me!" "Oh! what things you say, Rosette!" "What's that? Don't lovers always kiss? Do you suppose madame thinks that we pass our time whispering in each other's ears?" Madame Dauberny turned her face away to laugh. I wished that I were heaven knows where. I should certainly remember that excursion to the country. We returned to the restaurant. There I tried to recover my good humor. In the first place, as the table was round, I was naturally seated between Frédérique and Rosette--no more with one than with the other. They served us a delicious dinner, with choice wines. "Good!" said Rosette; "this was well ordered! These gentlemen have distinguished themselves! I give this pomard my esteem." "Never fear," said Balloquet; "we shall have some ladies' wines too." "What do you mean by ladies' wines? sweet ones, I suppose?" "Exactly." "I warn you that I can't endure your sweet wines, except champagne; and unless madame cares for them----" "Not at all," said Frédérique. "Strike off your sweet wines, then. Bah! they make me sick; I can't drink 'em! But these--just ask Charles how I punish 'em!" "I should say that it isn't necessary to ask me," I said; "it's self-evident." "Does that make you cross, my dear boy? Don't you like to have your Rosette hold her own with you to-day? Are you going to be in the sulks at table too? Ah! madame, my aunts have spoiled him, and no mistake; he was much nicer before he went the rounds of them." Madame Dauberny nudged my knee and whispered: "Be more agreeable, or she will make a scene with you." I strove to put myself in harmony with the general merriment. Rosette chattered incessantly; Balloquet sang, with his eyes fixed on Frédérique; she laughed at my grisette's sallies, and from time to time told us some very amusing anecdotes. "Ah! if I could tell stories like madame," cried Rosette, "I know what I'd do!" "What would you do?" asked Balloquet. "I wouldn't do anything else. I'd tell stories all day, and make them up all night.--Kiss me, Charles!" "Sapristi! Rosette, are we going to begin that again?" "Do you hear him, madame? He refuses to kiss me, the villain!" "Mademoiselle," I said, in a serious tone, "I am sorry to be obliged to inform you that there are occasions when such liberties are permissible, and others when we must abstain from them; you should understand that." Rosette pushed her chair away from the table, muttering: "It wasn't worth while to bring me with you, just to say such things as that to me." With that, she put her hand over her eyes and began to weep. The devil! That was the climax! I was in torment. Frédérique tried to console Rosette, and said to me: "Come, come, monsieur, don't make mademoiselle unhappy; she is right; you choose a very inopportune time to lecture her. Kiss her at once, and make peace with her." I obeyed; whereupon Balloquet exclaimed: