e.
Madame Reuter, being less sentimental, as she was Flamand and not
French, only laughed again.

"You are a dangerous person, I fear," said she; "if you can forge
compliments at that rate, Zoraide will positively be afraid of you; but
if you are good, I will keep your secret, and not tell her how well you
can flatter. Now, listen what sort of a proposal she makes to you. She
has heard that you are an excellent professor, and as she wishes to get
the very beet masters for her school (car Zoraide fait tout comme une
reine, c'est une veritable maitresse-femme), she has commissioned me to
step over this afternoon, and sound Madame Pelet as to the possibility
of engaging you. Zoraide is a wary general; she never advances without
first examining well her ground I don't think she would be pleased if
she knew I had already disclosed her intentions to you; she did not
order me to go so far, but I thought there would be no harm in letting
you into the secret, and Madame Pelet was of the same opinion. Take
care, however, you don't betray either of us to Zoraide--to my
daughter, I mean; she is so discreet and circumspect herself, she cannot
understand that one should find a pleasure in gossiping a little--"

"C'est absolument comme mon fils!" cried Madame Pelet.

"All the world is so changed since our girlhood!" rejoined the other:
"young people have such old heads now. But to return, Monsieur. Madame
Pelet will mention the subject of your giving lessons in my daughter's
establishment to her son, and he will speak to you; and then to-morrow,
you will step over to our house, and ask to see my daughter, and you
will introduce the subject as if the first intimation of it had reached
you from M. Pelet himself, and be sure you never mention my name, for I
would not displease Zoraide on any account.

"Bien! bien!" interrupted I--for all this chatter and circumlocution
began to bore me very much; "I will consult M. Pelet, and the thing
shall be settled as you desire. Good evening, mesdames--I am infinitely
obliged to you."

"Comment! vous vous en allez deja?" exclaimed Madame Pelet.

"Prenez encore quelquechose, monsieur; une pomme cuite, des biscuits,
encore une tasse de cafe?"

"Merci, merci, madame--au revoir." And I backed at last out of the
apartment.

Having regained my own room, I set myself to turn over in my mind
the incident of the evening. It seemed a queer affair altogether, and
queerly managed; the two old women ha