She put the packet back again. She was vexed, almost humiliated. Why had Philip mentioned the story of the pansies to Monsieur de Lussac? It could interest no one, except the two lovers, who had thus repeated their vows. Why had Philip shown him the packet? In her eyes, it was an almost ungentlemanly act. She passed a hand across her forehead, as if to brush away the ideas that came to her mind, and smiled good-humouredly once more. "I believe you are jealous," said she gaily. "Not a bit--I am disgusted. Two people supposed to be sensible, billing and cooing over a package of old flowers, after being married, let me see--how long?" "Six years to-day." "And after six years of marriage you are still in the region of romance? Will you allow a bachelor, an intimate friend of your husband's, to congratulate you with all his heart? I declare I almost envy your happiness." "Well, get married yourself!" exclaimed Dora; "it is very easy." "Not for the world," said he, in a bantering tone. "I am too fond of woman in the plural to ever love one in the singular. Besides, I could never marry a woman unless I could respect her." "Naturally." "Well!" exclaimed de Lussac, laughing heartily, "I don't believe I could respect a woman who would be willing to marry me." "Oh! come, you are like most Frenchmen," said Dora, "not so bad as you would make people believe. You will succumb to the temptation all in good time. You will marry, you will love your wife, and, what is more, you will make the most docile of husbands. It is the most recalcitrant of you that generally become the model husbands in the end." "Heaven forbid! I will succumb to every temptation you like to name except that one; if I ever find myself married I shall have been chloroformed before the ceremony. For fear of giving way to this temptation I will stick to all the others, in case they should forsake me--you see, I am a vagabond pure and simple." "Women love vagabonds--many do at any rate. You will find a hundred for one that will have you." "A hundred perhaps--one never," said de Lussac. "And when you are old, who will occupy the other side of the chimney corner? A chimney has two corners." "I know it," said de Lussac; "but there is also the middle, where I shall be very happy and comfortable--that is better still. No, no, long live Liberty!" "Pure selfishness--and besides, conjugal life is the most comfortable." "Undeceive yourself, madame; one lives as well at the club. One dines better at a restaurant, where for a small tip one may grumble and blow up the waiter to one's heart's content." "You can do as much in your own house, and blow up your wife without its costing you a farthing."