Part 28 (1/2)
”No, she wouldn't do anything; but she is jealous, and it would make her unhappy.”
”She would be very foolish to be jealous of me.”
”That is true; but jealous people often are foolish, you know.”
”Henri, I am going to make a proposition to you.”
”What is it?”
”Take me to dinner instead of your wife. You can tell her this evening that you had an engagement that you couldn't break.”
”No, I haven't reached that point yet, thank heaven!”
”Oh! I was only joking, monsieur; I know that you are too virtuous to play such a trick. Have you got ants on your legs?”
”No, but I don't want to stand here.”
”Very well; let us walk then.”
”I don't want to walk with you.”
”But what if I don't choose to leave you?”
”I beg you, Lucile, let me go.”
”Dear me! monsieur a.s.sumes his sentimental air. Look you, the garden is free to all; if I choose to walk beside you, you have no right to prevent me. Besides, I am very curious to see your wife. Will she eat me if she finds me with you? Ah! monsieur refuses to answer any more questions; monsieur is angry.”
”Yes, madame, I confess that I don't understand what motive induces you to act as you are acting. It is pure malice, and it seems to me that I have given you no reason to treat me so.”
”Indeed! it seems so to you, does it? You have a very short memory. It seems to me that I have many reasons for revenging myself on you.”
”Madame, you must have other people to think about who interest you much more than I do; and in the four years since we ceased to see each other, I am surprised that you remember me at all.”
”It is certain that you hardly deserve it. But what would you have?
Perhaps that is the reason.”
”Lucile, some other day we will talk as long as you wish; but to-day, I beg you, leave me; don't stay with me.”
”Ha! ha! you make me laugh!”
I began to walk very fast; Lucile did the same, continuing to talk to me, although I did not reply. I saw that people were staring at us, because I had the aspect of running away from a woman who was pursuing me. I was in dismay. At last I stopped.
”This is a horrible thing that you are doing, Lucile.”
”Well, calm yourself, I will leave you, for you make my heart ache. You start convulsively every time you see a woman! But tell me first, have you my portrait still?”
”Your portrait? Why, I don't know, I will look.”
”I want you to give it back to me. You can't care anything about it, and I want it, for it was very like me.”