“And that woman who opened the door and told me that Madame de Belleval would come in a minute----” “Is an obliging neighbor; I paid her for that little service with a ticket to the theatre.” “Why, this is frightful! And there are people who lend a hand to such outrages!” “My dear child, you make a great fuss over a very small matter! To try to obtain a tête-à-tête with a pretty flower girl is no great crime; I might have kept up the deception much longer, but I am very honest, you see; I play with my cards on the table.--Come, don’t be angry; you will have to end by calming down, anyway. Let’s make peace at once, and seal the treaty with a kiss.” Before Jéricourt could put his lips to Violette’s face, she rose and ran toward the door; but the young man ran after her and detained her by putting his arm about her waist. “Oh! you shan’t escape me so, my dear; you are in my room and we are alone.--Come, don’t be so cruel; but let me kiss you.” “Take care, monsieur; you think that you have a weak girl to deal with, but I am not afraid of you; you won’t get anything from me, I give you fair warning; and if you try to use force, look out! I won’t spare your face, that you’re so proud of.--Let me alone, monsieur, I don’t propose that you shall kiss me.” Jéricourt paid no heed to the girl’s entreaties; he attempted to pursue his enterprise, but he met with a resistance which he was far from expecting; Violette’s hands were active and strong; she put one of them to her persecutor’s face and dug her nails in so far that the blood flowed freely, and the pain forced the young man to relax his hold. He went to the mirror to look at himself, and exclaimed angrily: “That’s an abominable thing for you to do, mademoiselle--to scratch my face and mutilate me! only tigresses do that; it’s only among the _canaille_ that such things are indulged in.” “Indeed, monsieur! So I am of the _canaille_ because I defend myself, because I don’t allow monsieur to take liberties with me. Why do you pay any attention to me then? why do you degrade yourself with a dealer in flowers?” “As if I could suspect anything of the kind! To attack a man’s face--that’s the worst possible form!” “You’ve got no more than you deserve, monsieur; I gave you fair warning; and if you should try again to keep me, I promise you that you wouldn’t get off so cheap.” “Oh! I won’t keep you any longer, mademoiselle, I have had enough. You are free, but I have some scratches on my face that I shall not forget! You will be sorry that you treated me so!” “Oh! I am not afraid of you, monsieur, and I have proved it. When a man acts as you have done, he shouldn’t threaten other people--he should try to be more decent in order to obtain forgiveness for what he has done.--Adieu, monsieur.”