to long for her with a passionate ardor and an exasperating
impatience. Suddenly she turned, looked at him, and burst into
laughter.

"You have a fine head," she said.

He was annoyed at this bantering, possessed with the anger of a
baffled lover. Then yielding brusquely to a half felt desire for
retaliation, a desire to avenge himself, to wound her, he said:

"Well, does this sort of life suit you?"

She asked with an artless air: "What do you mean?"

"Oh, come, don't make game of me. You know well enough what I mean!"

"No, I don't, on my word of honor."

"Oh, let us stop this comedy! Will you or will you not?"

"I do not understand you."

"You are not as stupid as all that; besides I told you last night."

"Told me what? I have forgotten!"

"That I love you."

"You?"

"Yes."

"What nonsense!"

"I swear it."

"Then prove it."

"That is all I ask."

"What is?"

"To prove it."

"Well, do so."

"But you did not say so last night."

"You did not ask anything."

"What absurdity!"

"And besides it is not to me to whom you should make your
proposition."

"To whom, then?"

"Why, to mamma, of course."

He burst into laughter. "To your mother. No, that is too much!"

She had suddenly become very grave, and looking him straight in the
eyes, said:

"Listen, Muscade, if you really love me enough to marry me, speak to
mamma first, and I will answer you afterward."

He thought she was still making sport of him, and angrily replied:
"Mam'zelle, you must be taking me for somebody else."

She kept looking at him with her soft, clear eyes. She hesitated and
then said:

"I don't understand you at all."

Then he answered quickly with somewhat of ill nature in his voice:

"Come now, Yvette, let us cease this absurd comedy, which has
already lasted too long. You are playing the part of a simple little
girl, and the role does not fit you at all, believe me. You know
perfectly well that there can be no question of marriage between us,
but merely of love. I have told you that I love you. It is the
truth. I repeat, I love you. Don't pretend any longer not to
understand me, and don't treat me as if I were a fool."

They were face to face, treading water, merely moving their hands a
little, to steady themselves. She was still for a moment, as if she
could not make out the meaning of his words, then she suddenly
blushed up to the roots of her hair. Her whole face grew purple from
her neck to her