she might gain some useful information from this
young man, and so she remained.

His face was crimson, and he seemed by far the more embarrassed of
the two. He sat with one elbow resting on the table, and with his gaze
persistently fixed upon a tiny glass half full of brandy which he held
in his hand, as if he hoped to gain some sublime inspiration from it.
At last, after an interval of irksome silence, he ventured to exclaim:
"Mademoiselle, should you like to be an officer's wife?"

"I don't know," answered Marguerite.

"Really! But at least you understand my motive in asking this question?"

"No."

Any one but the complacent lieutenant would have been disconcerted by
Mademoiselle Marguerite's dry tone; but he did not even notice it.
The effort that he was making in his intense desire to be eloquent and
persuasive absorbed the attention of all his faculties. "Then permit
me to explain, mademoiselle," he resumed. "We meet this evening for the
first time, but our acquaintance is not the affair of a day. For I know
not how long my father and mother have continually been chanting your
praises. 'Mademoiselle Marguerite does this; Mademoiselle Marguerite
does that.' They never cease talking of you, declaring that heart, wit,
talent, beauty, all womanly charms are united in your person. And they
have never wearied of telling me that the man whom you honored with your
preference would be the happiest of mortals. However, so far I had no
desire to marry, and I distrusted them. In fact, I had conceived a most
violent prejudice against you. Yes, upon my honor! I felt sure that I
should dislike you; but I have seen you and all is changed. As soon as
my eyes fell upon you, I experienced a powerful revulsion of feeling. I
was never so smitten in my life--and I said to myself, 'Lieutenant, it
is all over--you are caught at last!'"

Pale with anger, astonished and humiliated beyond measure, the young
girl listened with her head lowered, vainly trying to find words
to express the feelings which disturbed her; but M. Gustave,
misunderstanding her silence, and congratulating himself upon the
effect he had produced, grew bolder, and with the tenderest and most
impassioned inflection he could impart to his voice, continued: "Who
could fail to be impressed as I have been? How could one behold, without
rapturous admiration, such beautiful eyes, such glorious black hair,
such smiling lips, such a graceful mien, such wonderful charms o