Rosas had risen in his turn, and greeted the minister with a very peculiar half-inclination, not as a suitor in the presence of a powerful man, but as a nobleman greeting a man of talent. Vaudrey sought to discover an agreeable word in the remarks of this man but he failed to do so. He had, nevertheless, just before applauded Rosas's remarks, either out of condescension or from politeness. But it seemed to him that here the duke was no longer the same man. He gave him the impression of an intruder who had thrust himself in the way that led to some possible opportunity. He nevertheless concealed all trace of the ill-humor that he himself could not define or explain, and ended by uttering a commonplace phrase in praise of the duke, but which really meant nothing. As he was about to move away, Marianne detained him by a gesture: "Well, your Excellency," she remarked, with a charming play of her lips as she smiled, "you see,"--and she pointed to the blue draperies of the little salon, as dainty as a boudoir--"you see that there are some women who like blue." "Yes, Madame Marsy!--" Vaudrey answered, with an entirely misplaced irony that naturally occurred to him, as a reproach. "So do I," said Marianne. "We have only chatted together five minutes, but I have found that time enough to discover that you and I have many tastes in common. I am greatly flattered thereby." "And I am very happy," replied Vaudrey, who was disturbed by her direct glances that pierced him like a blade. She had resumed her place on the divan, but Vaudrey had already forgiven her tete-a-tete with Rosas--and in truth, what had he to forgive?--This burning glance had effaced everything. He bore it away like a bright ray and still shuddered at the sensation he experienced. He was in a hurry to leave. He now felt a sudden attack of nervousness. He was at the same moment charmed and bored. Again he resumed--amid the throng that made way for him, humbly performing its duty as a crowd--his role of minister, raising his head, and greeting with his official smile, but, at the bottom of his heart, really consumed by an entirely different thought. His brain was full of blue, of floating clouds, and he still heard Marianne's voice ringing in his ears with an insinuating tone, whispering: "We have many tastes in common," together with all kinds of mutual understandings which, as it were, burned like a fire in his heart. He saw Adrienne still seated in the same place and smiling sweetly at him,--a smile of ardent devotion, but which seemed to him to be lukewarm. He leaned toward her, reached his hands out and said to De Lissac, hurriedly, as he grasped his hand: "We meet later, do we not, Guy?" Then he disappeared in the antechamber, while the servants hurried toward Madame Vaudrey, bearing her cloak, and as Vaudrey put on his overcoat, a voice called out: "His Excellency's carriage."