played out, then Madame de Fondege,
who made her appearance attended by two shop-boys overladen with
packages, and finally the General, who brought his son, Lieutenant
Gustave, with him to dinner.

The lieutenant was a good-looking fellow of twenty-seven, or
thereabouts, with laughing eyes and a heavy mustache. He made a great
clanking with his spurs, and wore the somewhat theatrical uniform of the
13th Hussars rather ostentatiously. He bowed to Mademoiselle Marguerite
with a smile that was too becoming to be displeasing; and he offered her
his arm with an air of triumph to lead her to the dining-room, as soon
as the servant came to announce that "Madame la Comtesse was served."

Seated opposite to him at table, the young girl could not refrain from
furtively watching the man whom they wished to compel her to marry.
Never had she seen such intense self-complacency coupled with such
utter mediocrity. It was evident that he was doing his best to produce
a favorable impression; but as the dinner progressed, his conversation
became rather venturesome. He gradually grew extremely animated; and
three or four adventures of garrison life which he persisted in relating
despite his mother's frowns, were calculated to convince his hearers
that he was a great favorite with the fair sex. It was the good cheer
that loosened his tongue. There could be no possible doubt on that
score; and, indeed, while drinking a glass of the Chateau Laroze, to
which Madame Leon had taken such a liking, he was indiscreet enough to
declare that if his mother had always kept house in this fashion, he
should have been inclined to ask for more frequent leaves of absence.

However, strange to say, after the coffee was served, the conversation
languished till at last it died out almost entirely. Madame de Fondege
was the first to disappear on the pretext that some domestic affairs
required her attention. The General was the next to rise and go out, in
order to smoke a cigar; and finally Madame Leon made her escape without
saying a word. So Mademoiselle Marguerite was left quite alone with
Lieutenant Gustave. It was evident enough to the young girl that this
had been preconcerted; and she asked herself what kind of an opinion M.
and Madame de Fondege could have of her delicacy. The proceeding made
her so indignant that she was on the point of rising from the table and
of retiring like the others, when reason restrained her. She said to
herself that perhaps