“I cannot believe you as to that; but if--Ah! it’s your turn.” The figure interrupted our conversation; it was most annoying, for perhaps we had made a real start. After the figure I tried to renew the conversation. “Will you not sing again, mademoiselle?” “I sincerely hope not; I have paid my debt and that is enough.” “Are you not fond of music?” “Yes, very fond of it,--with people whom I know. I do not see the necessity of entertaining people whom one has never seen, and who often listen only from politeness.” “You judge society already with----” The deuce! another figure. At last the final figure came and the dance was at an end. No matter, I had had an opportunity to decide that the young woman was not a fool. Perhaps she would not have said as much of me. I seized Giraud as he was about to turn up his lamps, which were already beginning to go out. “You saw me dancing with that young lady opposite us?” “Yes.” “Well, it was my partner whom I was asking you about just now.” “Oho! that is Mademoiselle Eugénie Dumeillan.” “Who is Mademoiselle Dumeillan?” “She is the daughter of Madame Dumeillan, who is sitting beside her.” “My dear Monsieur Giraud, I have no doubt that that young lady is the daughter of her father and her mother; but when I ask you who she is, I mean, what sort of people are they? What do they do? In short, I ask in order to learn something about them. How is it that you, who are a mine of information, do not understand that?” “I do, I do. But, you see, she isn’t on my list of marriageable women. However, she is of marriageable age, but they haven’t begun to think about it yet; whereas that tall brunette yonder, in a turban--my dear fellow, she has a hundred thousand francs in cash. That’s not bad, is it? Ah! if I were not married!--Wife, look after your son Alexandre; he will upset the tea-things, and all the cups will meet the fate of the glasses!” “My dear Monsieur Giraud, I care very little about the amount of that tall brunette’s dowry. Can you tell me anything more about the ladies opposite?” “I beg your pardon. The mother is a widow; Monsieur Dumeillan was deputy chief in some department or other, I don’t know what one; however, he was a deputy chief and he left his widow four or five thousand francs a year, I believe. Mademoiselle Eugénie has had an excellent education; she is an accomplished musician and she will also have something that an aunt has left her; I don’t know just how much, but I can find out. She will not be a bad match; she’s an only daughter. Would you like me to speak in your name?” “Don’t play any such trick as that on me! Who in the devil said that I proposed to marry? Can’t a man open his mouth about a woman without thinking of marrying her?” “I don’t say no; but as one must come to that at last----” “Papa, my brother Théodore is stuffing pieces of sugared orange into his pocket.”