St. Honore and the Rue des Prouveres,
and I hope that you will deal with us, as we would serve you with the
best."

"I shall certainly do so--nay, I will be your first customer, if I have
to wait at the door."

"You are kind! M. Baret," said she to her husband, who was standing close
by, "this gentleman promises to be our first customer."

"The gentleman is very good," said the husband, "and I am sure he will be
satisfied, as my stockings are genuine silk."

Next Tuesday at day-break I began to dance attendance at the corner of
the Rue des Prouveres, and waited there till the servant came out to take
down the shutters. I went in and the girl asked me my business.

"I want to buy some stockings," was my answer.

"Master and mistress are still in bed, so you had better come later on."

"No, I will wait here. Stop a minute," said I, giving her six francs, "go
and get me some coffee; I will drink it in the shop."

"I might go and get you some coffee, but I am not so silly as to leave
you in the shop by yourself."

"You are afraid I might steal something!"

"Well, one does hear of such things being done, and I don't know you from
Adam."

"Very good; but I shall stay here all the same."

Before long Baret came down and scolded the poor girl for not having told
him of my presence. "Go and tell my wife to come," said he, as he began
opening packets of stockings for me to choose from. He kept stockings,
vests, and silk drawers, and I turned one packet over after another,
looking at them all and not fixing on anything till I saw his wife coming
down as fresh as a rose and as bright as a lily. She smiled at me in the
most seductive manner, apologized for the disorder of her dress, and
thanked me for keeping my word.

"I never break my word," I said, "especially when such a charming lady is
concerned!"

Madame Baret was seventeen, of a moderate height, and an exquisite
figure; without being classically beautiful, a Raphael could not wish to
depict a more enticing face. Her eyes were large and brilliant. Her
drooping eyelids, which gave her so modest and yet so voluptuous an
appearance, the ever-smiling mouth, her splendid teeth, the dazzling
whiteness of her complexion, the pleasing air with which she listened to
what was being said, her silvery voice, the sweetness and sparkling
vivacity of her manner, her lack of conceit, or rather her
unconsciousness of the power of her charms-in fine, everything about this
ma