sure."

"One is never sure of anything, especially anything relating to young
girls. One can not say that they do more than exist till they are
married. A husband has to make whatever he chooses out of them. You are
quite capable of making what you choose of your wife. Take the risk,
then."

"I could educate her as to morals--though, I must say, I am not much
used to that kind of instruction; but you will permit me to think that,
as to person, I should at least wish to see a rough sketch of what I may
expect in my wife before my marriage."

At that moment, a girl who had been bathing came out of the water a few
yards from them; the elegant outline of her slender figure, clad in a
bathing-suit of white flannel, which clung to her closely, was thrown
into strong relief by the clear blue background of a summer sky.

"Tiens!--but she is pretty!" cried Gerard, breaking off what he was
saying: "And she is the first pretty one I have seen!"

Madame de Villegry took up her tortoiseshell opera-glasses, which were
fastened to her waist, but already the young girl, over whose shoulders
an attentive servant had flung a wrapper--a 'peignoir-eponge'--had run
along the boardwalk and stopped before her, with a gay "Good-morning!"

"Jacqueline!" said Madame de Villegry. "Well, my dear child, did you
find the water pleasant?"

"Delightful!" said the young girl, giving a rapid glance at M. de
Cymier, who had risen.

He was looking at her with evident admiration, an admiration at which
she felt much flattered. She was closely wrapped in her soft, snow-white
peignoir, bordered with red, above which rose her lovely neck and head.
She was trying to catch, on the point of one little foot, one of her
bathing shoes, which had slipped from her. The foot which, when well
shod, M. de Talbrun, through his eyeglass, had so much admired, was
still prettier without shoe or stocking. It was so perfectly formed, so
white, with a little pink tinge here and there, and it was set upon so
delicate an ankle! M. de Cymier looked first at the foot, and then his
glance passed upward over all the rest of the young figure, which could
be seen clearly under the clinging folds of the wet drapery. Her form
could be discerned from head to foot, though nothing was uncovered but
the pretty little arm which held together with a careless grace the
folds of her raiment. The eye of the experienced observer ran rapidly
over the outline of her figure, till it reached