timents, believing
himself much more sanguine and romantic than he was in reality; rather
more faithful to the prejudices of caste and considerably more sensitive
to the opinion of the world than he flattered and prided himself on
being--such was the man. His face was certainly handsome, but I found it
excessively dull; for I had conceived the most ridiculous animosity for
him. His polished manners seemed to me abjectly servile with Edmee. I
should have blushed to imitate them, and yet my sole aim was to surpass
him in the little services he rendered her. We went out into the park.
This was very large, and through it ran the Indre, here merely a pretty
stream. During our walk he made himself agreeable in a thousand ways;
not a violet did he see but he must pluck it to offer to my cousin.
But, when we arrived at the banks of the stream, we found that the plank
which usually enabled one to cross at this particular spot had been
broken and washed away by the storms of a few days before. Without
asking permission, I immediately took Edmee in my arms, and quietly
walked through the stream. The water came up to my waist, but I carried
my cousin at arm's length so securely and skilfully that she did not wet
a single ribbon. M. de la Marche, unwilling to appear more delicate than
myself, did not hesitate to wet his fine clothes and follow me, though
with some rather poor efforts the while to force a laugh. However,
though he had not any burden to carry, he several times stumbled over
the stones which covered the bed of the river, and rejoined us only with
great difficulty. Edmee was far from laughing. I believe that this proof
of my strength and daring, forced on her in spite of herself, terrified
her as an evidence of the love she had stirred in me. She even appeared
to be annoyed; and, as I set her down gently on the bank, said:

"Bernard, I must request you never to play such a prank again."

"That is all very well," I said; "you would not be angry if it were the
other fellow."

"He would not think of doing such a thing," she replied.

"I quite believe it," I answered; "he would take very good care of that.
Just look at the chap. . . . And I--I did not ruffle a hair of your
head. He is very good at picking violets; but, take my word for it, in a
case of danger, don't make him your first choice."

M. de la Marche paid me great compliments on this exploit. I had hoped
that he would be jealous; he did not even appear to dre