The weather was superb and the soft moonlight seemed to invite one to enjoy the cool evening air. Auguste stole quietly downstairs, dressed in an ample robe de chambre which he had found in his room, and walked through the garden toward the orchard. I am not sure whether he went there solely in search of coolness, but when he reached the grove of fruit trees, where it was very dark, he vanished among the plums and cherries. At last, after wandering about for some time, he found himself before the building which the gardener had pointed out to him. He drew near; he heard voices and recognized La Thomassinière's. The young man concluded that he had arrived too late; however, he listened to what his host had to say to Mademoiselle Tapotte. "Monsieur le marquis kissed you, my dear girl." "Me, monsieur! oh, nenni! nobody didn't kiss me." "Remember, Tapotte, that I am your master, and that I have a right to know everything." "I don't know what you want to know!" "Monsieur le marquis kissed you." "What's a marquis?" "A magnificent man! rather short and fat, almost bald, about fifty years old, and with an eye-glass--_lorgnon_--on one side." "Oh! he's a marquis, is he? I don't know whether he had an onion--_ognon_--on one side, but he smelt pretty strong of liquor--I know that." "Don't think that I mean to scold you, Tapotte; far from it! I simply want to know what he said to you, so as to do it like a marquis, when I have the opportunity." "Why, bless me, he went about it the same way they all do. In the first place, he squeezed me." "Good." "Then he squeezed me again." "Good." "Oh, yes! good! good!--I yelled." "You did wrong, he was a marquis!" "I don't care, when he hurt me. And then--well since it amuses you, why, he kissed me." "Good." "He wouldn't let me go; he swore I'd got to say I'd meet him; but I wouldn't." "You were wrong! You're a fool, Tapotte! You shouldn't have refused monsieur le marquis." "Bah! get along with you! He's old and he's ugly!" This conversation suggested an idea to our hare-brained youth; he wrapped his head in his handkerchief, and began to cough and spit, imitating the decidedly nasal notes of the marquis. "Mon Dieu! there's some one outside!" cried La Thomassinière. "Yes, some old fellow coughing," replied Tapotte. "Why! it's he--it's the marquis. Fool that you are! Why didn't you admit that you told him where you lived?" "I swear, monsieur, that I----" "Hush! hold your tongue! he's there and he's getting impatient." "Jarni! he's got the catarrh, that man has!" "Faith, I cannot hesitate.--Monsieur le marquis! What an honor! I will jump out of this window in the rear." "But don't I tell you, monsieur, that I didn't say I'd meet him----"