"Oh! no, monsieur le comte; I should lie if I said that it was the inclination that was lacking; but I cannot do it; for monsieur le comte himself well knows that I ought not to intrust two young girls to him. No, thanks! one might as well put two lambs in the custody of a fox!" "Eh! why so, Hugonnet? Is it because of the little dispute we had some time ago? But you see that I have forgotten all about it. Besides, I was in the wrong; I admit it.--Oh! I am not one of those men who will not hear reason; look you--in those days I was a good-for-nothing fellow--a roisterer, a libertine! But since then I have turned over a new leaf. If you but knew how virtuous I am now!" "I congratulate you, seigneur; it must be a great source of satisfaction to monsieur le marquis, your father." Léodgard concealed a faint smile, and his glance rested sweetly on Bathilde's face, who, although she kept her eyes on the ground, did not lose a word of what was said. "Yes, my good Hugonnet, yes, my father felicitates himself now on having a son who is radically cured of his evil tastes; who no longer cudgels the watch, drives peaceful citizens to frenzy, raises the deuce with tradesmen, and, above all things, who no longer talks nonsense to every woman he sees! For, as to that----" "Cadédis! the assemblage is becoming most select! Here is our dear Comte Léodgard de Marvejols!" "Ah! is it you, Chevalier Passedix?" "Myself, who deeply regretted my inability to join the jovial party with you and your friends and divers charming ladies, the day before yesterday. Ah! you rascal! I fancy that you enjoyed yourselves!--Cards, wine, women! You always were the king of kings for handling such affairs. It seems that everybody was drunk the next morning; there was fighting, and a general scandal; and the ladies were taken to the Repenties! That is what I call sport!" "May the devil fly away with you, you long-legged idiot!" muttered Léodgard, turning his head away, while Ambroisine nudged Bathilde and whispered: "Do you hear? That is how he has turned virtuous, how he has reformed, the scapegrace! That is how he turns over a new leaf!" "Mon Dieu! Ambroisine, what difference does it make to me? You say that as if it interested me." "Well! he stared at you so! And then, you think him good-looking." "I think him so, because he is. But what does that prove? Are you going to scold me now because that young gentleman looked at me? Is it my fault?" "Scold you, dear Bathilde! oh, no! But, you see, it is my duty to look after you, as if I were your older sister; for we made ourselves responsible for you to your father, and I should not want any misfortune to happen to you; it would seem to me as if I were the cause." "Misfortune! Mon Dieu! what misfortune do you dread for me?" Ambroisine dared not reply. Suddenly the Chevalier Passedix stood on tiptoe and exclaimed: