"I say, Bastringuette, what sort of business are you doing, that you have those black rings round your eyes, and look so fagged out?" said Monsieur Célestin, taking the flower girl by the chin. She had large brown eyes surmounted by heavy eyebrows, a large but well-shaped mouth, and would still have been a seductive person had she but a little fresher color and a less brazen expression. "I do what I want! What odds is it to you who never buy anything of me?" "Because I don't need to give bouquets to gain my ends, it is fair to suppose." "Come, take away your paws! I don't wear anything false, I don't need to be felt of!--And you, my little love, won't you buy something of me? With such a face and style, you ought to have mistresses on every street, and even on the boulevards!" This complimentary speech was addressed to Tobie Pigeonnier; he seemed to be exceedingly flattered by it, and, to manifest his satisfaction, rested his nose on each bunch of violets on her tray in turn, saying: "She's very amusing, very clever, this flower girl! She has a pair of eyes--what pistols! how she fires 'em at you point-blank!" "Well, my dear boy, are you going to confine yourself to putting your nose on all the bouquets? Thanks! You may sprinkle 'em, but that's not the kind of dampness that keeps 'em fresh. Come, buy this bunch!" "No, I have no victims to sacrifice to-day; unless you would like to be one--eh, hussy?" "Stop that! You're too puffy for me! I don't like wax figures; I should be afraid you'd melt in my arms!" Albert and Célestin roared with laughter at the wry face which Tobie made when he received this compliment from the flower girl. Having tried once more to place his glass in his right eye, he cast a disdainful glance at Mademoiselle Bastringuette, saying: "You are like your flowers, my dear; when one looks at you too close, he sees that he would be cheated." "_Dame!_ that's not like you! one has only to glance at you to be satisfied that he gets nothing for his money." Tobie's two friends laughed louder than ever; and he concluded to try to laugh with them, saying: "The devil! we're dealing with a good fighter! I fancy I shall not have the last word with her." "Not the last word nor anything else, my little fat man. _Dame!_ all the pleasure we poor girls have is with our tongue! We must make the most of it, for it don't cost anything." "Take care! The tongue is the best and the worst part of us. Æsop said that." "I don't know the gentleman; but mine seems to be a good one, for it don't wear out at all. It ain't like your waistcoat; see, monsieur, it's giving out under the arms!"