"Oh, yes, yes!"

"Sapristi!" said Darena, turning to his companion, "she strikes me as being stupider than a flock of geese! However, it makes no difference; Love is blind, and he is ent.i.tled to be deaf too.--Let's have a drink!

Another bowl, waiter."

"But--but----"

"Be quiet, Comte de Globeski! you are at liberty not to drink any more, but you will still have the privilege of paying."

The second bowl was brought; the young Alsatian's color became more brilliant than ever; even her eyes began to show some life and Darena exclaimed:

"_Fichtre!_ if only Cherubin could see her now! What a conflagration she would kindle! Comte de Globeski, see to it that Chichette has such eyes to-morrow evening; make her a little tipsy."

"Yes, with brandy!" muttered Poterne, blowing his nose.

"Attention! as it is easier to become acquainted at the theatre than anywhere else, the Comte de Globeski will take his wife to the theatre to-morrow evening--to the Cirque; that is the favorite theatre of foreigners."

"Very good," said Poterne, "we will go to the Cirque; we will sit in the second amphitheatre."

"And why not in paradise, at once? Hum! you make me blush for you, Globeski! You will take seats in the first balcony--in a box."

"But----"

"No buts!--Madame must be dressed in perfect taste."

"I will do my best."

"And you, count, will look to it that you bear no resemblance to a certain hound named Poterne."

"There's no danger."

"We will sit in your box, behind you; the Comtesse de Globeska will a.s.sa.s.sinate my young friend with her glances.--Do you understand, my girl?"

"Oh, yes, yes!"

"And above all things she must not seem to know me."

"Yes, yes!"

"Comte de Globeski will go out during the entr'acte without his wife, who will answer the sweet speeches my young friend will make to her. She will not talk much, for fear of making a slip, but she will be loving and pa.s.sionate."

"Oh, yes, yes!"

"After the play the count will take his wife away, and we will follow them. He will take a cab, we will do the like. The rest will go of itself. It's all agreed and understood. There's no more punch; pay the bill, count, and let's be off."

Poterne paid with a groan; Darena even compelled him to give the waiter six sous; then they left the cafe. Mademoiselle Chichette lived on Rue Saint-Denis; they escorted her home and she promised not to go out on the following day, but to await Monsieur de Globeski's coming. Then Darena went to stroll in the Palais-Royal, and Poterne went home to bed.

Darena had taken his measures in advance; he knew that Monfreville was to attend a large dinner on the following day, so that Cherubin would be free. He had seen him in the morning and had said to him:

"I want to pa.s.s the evening with you to-morrow; surely you will sacrifice your great ladies to me for one evening! You are always in the fashionable salons now--they monopolize you. Monfreville is never away from you; but my friendship demands its turn, and as I do not go into society--for the moment! I have such seasons--why, we will go to the theatre."

Cherubin had agreed. But he was beginning to enjoy large parties; the pleasant welcome that he received everywhere gradually dispelled his shyness. Madame Celival was more amiable with him than with any other man; which fact seemed to annoy several gentlemen, among others, the colonel who resembled a cat, and the young dandy who had the look of a Roman.

Nor was this all: the fascinating Comtesse Valdieri, that fanciful, nervous, ethereal creature, who often received as if by special favor the homage that was addressed to her, had supposed at first that Marquis Cherubin would speedily help to swell the crowd of her adorers; but the young man had contented himself with admiring her at a distance, and in this case his shyness had served him well. The little countess was deeply offended by behavior which she attributed to indifference; for in these days it is not to be presumed that young men are bashful, and Madame Valdieri, seeing that Cherubin talked a great deal with Madame Celival, did her utmost to steal that new conquest from her. With women anger sometimes leads to love, and any other than Cherubin would already have taken advantage of the rivalry he had caused.

The pretty countess had invited the young marquis to come to her receptions. Monsieur Valdieri, like a complacent husband, had seconded his wife's invitation; and Cherubin waited upon the flighty Emma, who was most affable to him and seemed to forget her nerves.

And then, in a street near the hotel de Grandvilain, there was a rather pretentious linen-draper's shop, and in that shop, among a number of young women who were always at work at the counter, there was one fair-haired damsel, somewhat red about the eyes, with a little turned-up nose _a la Roxelane_, and an extremely wide-awake air. When Cherubin pa.s.sed, she always found a way to be at the door and smile at him; or to go out into the street for a moment on the most trivial pretext; and several times, as she pa.s.sed the young man, she had said:

"I come out at nine o'clock every night; if you would like to speak with me, wait at the end of the street; my name is Celanire."

And lastly Cherubin had met Mademoiselle Malvina several times, no longer dressed as a Swiss, but very alluring with her little pink tucker, her short skirt, and the black silk scarf, which was wound so lightly about her waist that it caused her hips to stand out in a very p.r.o.nounced fashion. And Malvina had halted in front of the young man, shot a burning glance at him, and said:

"So you don't mean to come to see me, Monsieur Cherubin? Do you know that that is very bad of you, and that you are an ungrateful wretch not to cultivate my acquaintance? You know my address--come and breakfast with me. I get up late, but I give you leave to come very early."

Thus Cherubin was exposed to a rattling fire from a number of fair ones, when Darena, who had found a way to freshen up his costume, called for him and took him to the Cirque, on Boulevard du Temple.

On the road the young man did not fail to tell Darena all that had happened to him; and he, having listened attentively, said:

"It seems to me, my dear fellow, that you are a regular Faublas--all women adore you! And how is it with yourself?"

"Oh! I adore them too!"

"So you love Madame Celival, eh?"

"Why, yes, I think so; I find her very fascinating."

"And the languishing Comtesse Valdieri?"

"Oh! I like her very much too."

"And the grisette--otherwise called the linen-draper's apprentice?"

"I think that she's very nice."

"And Malvina, who dances so well?"

"She is very much to my taste."

"Well! if that is so, how do you stand with all these women? Men don't make any secret of such things among themselves, parbleu!"

"How do I stand? Why, no farther ahead than I was."

Darena roared with laughter, to the great annoyance of Cherubin, and rejoined at last:

"Then, my dear fellow, it's because the will was lacking! and, according to that, I am bound to think that all these ladies have made very little impression on your heart. However, I understand that: salon conquests--grisettes--lorettes--there's nothing interesting in any of them! Sometimes chance brings us into contact with something better. But here we are at the Cirque."

Cherubin purchased the tickets--Darena always left that duty to him--and they entered the theatre.