"The owner of the house has decided to make some
repairs, and the workmen have already invaded our apartments. The
General has taken flight, let us follow his example--so make
yourself beautiful and we'll go at once."
Without a word, the young girl hastened to obey, while Madame de
Fondege expiated on the delightful drive they would take together
in the wonderful brougham which the General had purchased a couple
of days before. As for Lieutenant Gustave, she did not even
mention his name.
Accustomed to the superb equipages of the Chalusse establishment,
Mademoiselle Marguerite did not consider the much-lauded brougham
at all remarkable. At the most, it was very showy, having
apparently been selected with a view to attracting as much
attention as possible. Madame de Fondege was not in a mood to
consider an objection that morning. She was evidently in a
nervous state of mind, extremely restless and excited indeed, it
seemed impossible for her to keep still. In default of something
better to do, she visited at least a dozen shops, asking to see
everything, finding everything frightful, and purchasing without
regard to price. It might have been fancied that she wished to
buy all Paris. About ten o'clock she dragged Marguerite to Van
Klopen's. Received as a habituee of the establishment, thanks to
the numerous orders she had given within the past few days, she
was even allowed to enter the mysterious saloon in which the
illustrious ruler of Fashion served such of his clients as had a
predilection for absinthe or madeira.
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