Despite her long figure, straight corset, frilled sleeves, and her high-heeled shoes, Blanche was no less pretty. Beauty adorns everything that it wears, and innocence lends a more bewitching and genuine charm to beauty. Blanche had, then, every quality which could please. However, the barber did not appear to remark the attractions of the young girl; one would have said that he feared to look at her, as he had feared to touch his lips to her forehead. "Did you have a good night?" asked Blanche of him. "Very good, I thank you." "Marguerite was afraid that you went to bed very late because you had one of your friends to supper with you." "I don't know why Marguerite should make such a remark, nor what necessity there was that she should tell you I had anyone here last night." While uttering these words Touquet looked severely at Marguerite, who dusted and wiped the furniture without daring to look at her master. "But, my dear," answered Blanche, "is there anything bad in one's supping with one of his friends?" "Undoubtedly not." "What harm, then, has Marguerite done in telling me that?" "A servant should not incessantly tell tales about everything her master does. It should be very indifferent to you, Blanche, whether anyone comes to see me in the evening or not." "Oh, mercy, yes, since you won't let me come down, though that would amuse me much better than staying in my room." "A young girl should not talk to everybody, and many people come here of whom I know very little." "Yes, in the morning; but in the evening you only receive your friends." "I receive very few visitors in the evening except Chaudoreille, whom you know." "Oh, yes; and he makes me laugh every time I see him, for he will give me lessons in music, and I believe at the present time I know much more about it than he does. You will never let me leave my room." "Blanche, isn't it apparent to you that that is not convenient?" "But when you are alone I should like much better to keep you company and chat to you, than to listen to Marguerite's stories, which often make me very timorous and prevent me from going to sleep." "You know that I'm not very chatty; after a day's work I'm tired and I like to rest." "And Marguerite said that you didn't go to bed until very late, that you kept the light burning a long time, and that she doesn't know if you sleep one hour every night." The old servant coughed, but unsuccessfully, to make Blanche stop talking; but the latter, not thinking that she had done anything wrong in repeating all that, paid no attention to her and continued to speak. Marguerite, in order to avoid her master's look, wiped and dusted with new ardor; but this time the voice of the barber made itself heard, and it was she whom he addressed. "Marguerite, I said to you when you came into my house that I detested curious, indiscreet people,--servants who spy on their master. Do you remember it?"