n his waistcoat--"the
side of the affections--the heart, my dear Vicomtesse, the heart."

"Yes," answered Madame, looking at him with that disquieting straight
glance of hers--"the heart."

In the mean time--in the orange alley--Alphonse was attempting to get
a serious hearing from Lucille, and curiously enough was making use of
the same word as that passing between their elders on the terrace
above them.

"Have you no heart?" he cried, stamping his foot on the mossy turf,
"that you always laugh when I am serious--have you no heart, Lucille?"

"I do not know what you mean by heart," answered the girl with a
little frown, as if the subject did not please her. And wiser men than
Alphonse Giraud could not have enlightened her.

"Then you are incapable of feeling," he cried, spreading out his hands
as if in invocation to the trees to hear him.

"That may be, but I do not see that it is proved by the fact that I am
not always grave. You, yourself, are gay enough when others are by,
and it is then that I like you best. It is only when we are alone that
you are--tragic. Is that--heart, Alphonse? And are those who laugh
heartless? I doubt it."

"You know I love you," he muttered gloomily, and the expression on his
round face did not seem at home there.

"Well," she answered, with a severity gathered heaven knows whence--I
cannot think they taught it to her in the convent--"you have told me
so twice since you became aware of my continued existence at the ball
last month. But you are hopelessly serious to-day. Let us go back to
the terrace."

She stooped and picked up an orange that had fallen, throwing it
subsequently along the smooth turf for her dog to chase.

"See," she said gaily, "Talleyrand will scarcely trouble to run now.
He is so stout and dignified. He is afraid that the country dogs
should see him. It is Paris. Paris spoils--so much."

"You know my father's plans concerning us," said Alphonse, after a
pause, which served to set aside Talleyrand and the orange.

"The Baron's plans are, I am told, wonderful, but"--she paused and
gave a little laugh--"I do not understand finance."

They walked up the steps together, between the trim borders, where
spring flowers were already breaking into bud. On the terrace they
found the Vicomtesse and the Baron Giraud. A servant was going towards
the house carrying carelessly a small silver salver. The Baron was
standing with an unopened envelope in his hand.

"You w