"Ah! my dearest dear, on the contrary, I am very happy. But I divined that love of his a long while ago!"

"Really?"

"And yours too!"

"Ah! but I thought that I concealed very carefully, in the depths of my heart, what I felt for him!"

"You will be happy, dear Honorine. And my happiness would be complete, if----"

"If what?"

"Why, I don't know what the matter is with me! it still seems to me as if Edmond had something on his mind last night."

"Don't, for heaven's sake, create imaginary torments for yourself. What!

can it be that it is I who am called upon now to restore mademoiselle's good spirits! What can you be afraid of?"

"I keep thinking of that wicked woman. She has already caused my poor father's death, and something, I don't know what, tells me that she means to injure me still more!"

"Agathe, you are not reasonable. Luckily Edmond's presence will drive away these black ideas.--Poucette! doesn't Pere Ledrux come to work in the garden to-day?"

"Yes, madame, it's his day; he's a little late, for it's after half-past seven.--But wait! I think I hear him now."

The old peasant entered the garden with the basket on his arm in which he always carried his gardening tools.

"Tutu--tutu--turlututu! I'm a trifle late; a tenant of mine is the cause of it."

"Have you a tenant, Pere Ledrux?"

"Yes, only since a couple of days. I don't think he'll stay here long; I don't know what he's up to, but he goes in and out all the time. He's a fine gentleman. Oh! yes, he's one of the swells! I thought at first he'd come down for the fete at the Bellevilles; but no, he didn't go to it; and yet it seems he knows 'em."

"Ah! do you think so?"

"Yes, yes, he knows 'em well.--I think I'll water these beds a little; they're dry as can be!"

"Do so, Pere Ledrux."

In a few moments the gardener returned to the two friends with his watering pot.

"Tutu--turlututu.--After all, my tenant did just as well not to go to that party--at the goldfish place."

"Why so, Pere Ledrux?"

"Well! it was mighty fine, they say; but when things end in a fight--why, that ain't so amusing! I don't like that, myself!"

"What's that? What do you mean by a fight?"

"Why, yes, a fight, quarrelling, blows. And it seems they went at it in good shape, for Monsieur Droguet lost six or seven teeth, and Monsieur Luminot got a crack that echoed like a blow on a drum!"

The young women gazed at each other in surprise.

"Are you quite sure of what you say, Pere Ledrux?"

"What's that? am I sure? Why the whole village knows it as well as I do."

"How is it that Monsieur Edmond and Freluchon, who were at that party, haven't told us a word of this?"

"Faith! it's all the more surprising because it was them as did the hitting."

"Oh! that is impossible."

"It's true, mamzelle! it's true! It was Monsieur Edmond who hit Monsieur Luminot, and it was his friend, the little man--what do you call him?

Monsieur Cornichon--who threw somebody onto Monsieur Droguet and dislocated his jaw."

"Mon Dieu! what was the cause of the quarrel?"

"Faith! I don't know; they say so many things; one has it one way and one another!"

"Can't you guess, Honorine? Somebody insulted us at that woman's house, and Edmond couldn't stand it!"

"It is likely; and they have concealed it all from us, in order not to distress us."

"But it's all over now, isn't it, Pere Ledrux?"

"Over! oh! no, mamzelle! You see, Monsieur Luminot, who's quite a buck, can't take a blow like that without drawing his sword. So they're going to fight; Monsieur Luminot told everybody so yesterday. He walked all round the neighborhood on purpose, and sung out to everybody he met:

"'I say! Here's something. I'm going to fight, I've got a duel with pistols on hand!'"

"To fight! Do you hear, Honorine? they are going to fight!--Ah! that is what my heart divined! Tell us, Pere Ledrux, when this duel is to take place?"

"It seems it's this morning that they're all to meet with their seconds--I believe there's six seconds."

"Where are they to meet?"

"Faith! I didn't think to ask; but perhaps they haven't told, if they don't want to be disturbed."

"Honorine, I don't want him to fight. Oh! I entreat you, let us go to him."

"Wait--someone is knocking at the gate; it's Edmond or his friend, no doubt, and we shall learn the truth."

Poucette appeared with a letter in her hand.

"A little boy just brought this letter for madame," she said; "he said there wasn't any answer and ran right away again."

Honorine opened the letter and glanced first at the foot of the page.

"No signature!"

"Never mind! read it quickly, my dear!" cried Agathe; "it must be from one of those gentlemen; read it!"