"I agree with mademoiselle," said Edmond. A moment later, he added: "It's a very dismal thing to call one's fiancee 'mademoiselle.' Don't you think so, madame?"

Honorine smiled, while Agathe hastily rejoined:

"And I think it's horrible to say 'monsieur'!--It's so ceremonious, monsieur!"

"Well! what prevents you from calling each other Agathe and Edmond simply?"

"Oh! madame! have we your permission?"

"I see no harm in it, when you are engaged."

"Oh! what joy, my dear good friend! How sweet it will be, Edmond!--Do you hear, Monsieur Edmond?"

"No more 'monsieur,' dear Agathe!"

"True; but one dares not begin all at once. Never mind; I shall soon get used to calling you Edmond--just Edmond."

"And I--Agathe, my beloved Agathe!"

"Oh! monsieur, my dear friend didn't sanction the 'beloved'!"

"But she didn't forbid it, mademoiselle!"

"Well, well! now he's calling me 'mademoiselle' again!"

"You called me 'monsieur.'"

"Hush, child!" cried Honorine; "someone knocked at the garden gate."

"I didn't hear anything," said Agathe.

"I am certain that there's someone there; and see, Ami is running in that direction, and he doesn't make mistakes."

"Who can come so late?"

"Late! why, it isn't nine o'clock."

"That is late for the country; we will go with you and see who it is.

Poucette is singing upstairs and did not hear."

"Stay here; I'm not afraid; besides, Ami is with me."

Honorine soon reached the end of the little garden. The dog was jumping against the gate, wagging his tail and uttering short, joyous little yelps. There was no possibility of mistake as to the person who was outside, and Honorine soon found herself face to face with the owner of the Tower.

"Excuse me, madame," said Paul, as he raised his hat to the young woman.

"It is rather late for me to call upon you; but I have been to see Guillot's family and the good people kept me longer than I thought; time pa.s.ses so quickly with those who are glad to see one! When I left them I discovered that Monsieur Ami had deserted me. I thought that there was no other house but yours in this part of the country, to which he could have come, and I see that I was not mistaken.--Really, madame, I am afraid that the dog is a nuisance to you; his visits are becoming too frequent; you must send him away when he is unwelcome."

"No, monsieur, we shall not send him away, because we are fond of him and his visits give us pleasure.--But will not you, monsieur, pa.s.s through this gate? shall we never have a visit from anybody but your dog?"

Ami's master replied by entering the garden, and Honorine was conscious of a feeling of gratification which she did not try to conceal.

She escorted her guest to the living-room, where Agathe and Edmond had remained. The former sprang to her feet when she saw Paul, exclaiming:

"Oh! this is a pleasant surprise, monsieur!"

"You must not thank monsieur too much," said Honorine; "if Ami had not come to see us, I fancy that monsieur would never have honored us with a visit."

"Madame----"

"But it is wrong of me to say that.--You do not like society, and you lay aside your habits to-day, in our favor; we should be very grateful to you for it."

Paul had remained in the doorway, looking at Edmond, whom he had not previously met.

"Allow me," said Honorine, "to present Monsieur Edmond Didier; he is the only person who comes now and then to enliven our solitude; but he is ent.i.tled to do so, for he loves Agathe, and I have promised to let them marry when they are a little more sensible."

Paul's brow seemed to brighten; he bowed to Edmond and took the seat that Honorine offered him.

The conversation was a little cold and intermittent at first; but before long Switzerland was mentioned, and Italy; the owner of the Tower had travelled extensively, he described vividly the different countries he had visited, interspersing his narrative with curious anecdotes, incidents that had happened to him on the road and in public houses. And he told it all without ostentation, simply and with a facility that fascinated his hearers. The moments pa.s.sed and no one thought of the time.

Suddenly Paul stopped, as if ashamed of having monopolized the general attention so long.

"I am afraid that I have abused your patience and bored you," he said.

"Forgive me; you see how dangerous it is to receive one who has been a long while without talking."

"We should be very happy," replied Honorine, "if you would come sometimes and bore us in this same way. It must be very sad to live alone all the time, to see no one. Are you a misanthrope?"

"I have abundant reason to be."

"And you are determined to see only evil-minded persons about you?"

"Ah! I no longer say that, madame!"

"And will it always be necessary for your dog to come here in order to induce you to honor us with a visit?"

Paul was about to reply, when the dog, who up to that time had lain quietly at his feet, suddenly raised his head, p.r.i.c.ked up his ears and gave a low, prolonged growl.

"Well, well! what is it, Ami?" said Agathe; "are you tired of staying with us? do you want to go?"

The dog seemed to be listening, and in a moment began to growl again.

"This is strange!" said Paul, "there must be a cause for this exhibition of temper on Ami's part; his eyes are blazing and his hair is standing on end."

Ami left the room abruptly and rushed into the garden, barking violently.

"There certainly is something wrong," said Edmond; "perhaps some nocturnal prowler is pa.s.sing the house."

They had all followed the dog, which continued to bark, rushing against the wall, as if he wished to scale it.