Passedix made such a terrible face, and held the point of his sword so near the poor fellow's breast, that he, trembling for his life, quickly removed his doublet and his breeches. The chevalier lost no time in donning them, saying to himself: "I shall be a horrible-looking creature in this costume! but, after all, it is preferable to being naked!--Now, I will conceal it as well as I can with my cloak.--Come, don't cry, you fool! Do you imagine that I propose to steal your clothes? They will be returned to you as soon as I have been home and have dressed myself in orange, pending the purchase of a lovely costume, new throughout. I shall select a sky-blue this time!--If my people return, you will say to them that I shall expect them at the Hôtel du Sanglier, Place aux Chats; but I begin to doubt whether they will return--the vagabonds!" And Passedix, having finished his toilet to the best of his ability, left the bathing establishment, grumbling between his teeth: "These breeches are horribly unbecoming to me!--O my esquire! O my page! you shall pay me for all this!" LII THE LITTLE ANGEL Léodgard had recovered his health; he was entirely cured; still, he had not left the abode of his ancestors. More than once he had formed the plan of returning to his _petite maison_ in Rue de Bretonvilliers; but whenever he had that idea, little Blanche was not with him. As soon as his daughter appeared, as soon as she came running into the room, smiling and holding out her little arms to him, all thought of going away was forgotten; the time passed so quickly with the child, and so pleasantly! Blanche remained with her father almost all day; Bathilde deprived herself of the pleasure of having her child with her, because she felt that Blanche's presence alone detained Léodgard at the Hôtel de Marvejols. But when the little one had been away from her mother several hours in succession, she always asked to see her; for, in that loving heart, the love that she felt for the count in no wise diminished her affection for her mother. And one day, when Blanche, having remained longer than usual with Léodgard, asked to go back to her mother, and he, holding her in his arms, would have kept her longer, the child suddenly said to him: "Well! send for mamma to come here; then I will not ask to go away, because I shall be with both of you." To this very natural suggestion the count made no reply; he simply cast down his eyes and sighed; but Blanche at once continued: "Why doesn't mamma ever come here with me? When I ask her to, she always says: 'That would annoy monsieur le comte.'--Are you _monsieur le comte_?" "To be sure," Léodgard replied, with a smile. "Well! don't you want to have mamma come? Has she been naughty?"