Jacqueline, vol 2 | Page 7

all about it!" But there was
exaggeration in this profession of forgetfulness, and she hurriedly drew
Giselle back to the game of croquet, where they were joined by M. de
Talbrun.
The future husband of Giselle was a stout young fellow, short and
thick- set, with broad shoulders, a large flat face, and strong jaws,
ornamented with an enormous pair of whiskers, which partly
compensated him for a loss of hair. He had never done anything but
shoot and hunt over his property nine months in the year, and spend the
other three months in Paris, where the jockey Club and ballet-dancers
sufficed for his amusement. He did not pretend to be a man whose
bachelor life had been altogether blameless, but he considered himself
to be a "correct" man, according to what he understood by that
expression, which implied neither talents, virtues, nor good manners;
nevertheless, all the Blue Band agreed that he was a finished type of
gentleman-hood. Even Raoul's sisters had to confess, with a certain
disgust, that, whatever people may say, in our own day the aristocracy
of wealth has to lower its flag before the authentic quarterings of the
old noblesse. They secretly envied Giselle because she was going to be
a grande dame, while all the while they asserted that old-fashioned
distinctions had no longer any meaning. Nevertheless, they looked
forward to the day when they, too, might take their places in the
Faubourg St. Germain. One may purchase that luxury with a fortune of
eight hundred thousand francs.
The croquet-ground, which was underwater at high tide, was a long
stretch of sand that fringed the shingle. Two parties were formed, in
which care was taken to make both sides as nearly equal as possible,
after which the game began, with screams, with laughter, a little

cheating and some disputes, as is the usual custom. All this appeared to
amuse Oscar de Talbrun--exceedingly. For the first time during his
wooing he was not bored. The Misses Sparks--Kate and Nora--by their
"high spirits" agreeably reminded him of one or two excursions he had
made in past days into Bohemian society.
He formed the highest opinion of Jacqueline when he saw how her still
short skirts showed pretty striped silk stockings, and how her well-
shaped foot was planted firmly on a blue ball, when she was preparing
to roquer the red one. The way in which he fixed his eyes upon her
gave great offense to Fred, and did it not alarm and shock Giselle? No!
Giselle looked on calmly at the fun and talk around her, as unmoved as
the stump of a tree, spoiling the game sometimes by her ignorance or
her awkwardness, well satisfied that M. de Talbrun should leave her
alone. Talking with him was very distasteful to her.
"You have been more stupid than usual," had been what her
grandmother had never failed to say to her in Paris after one of his
visits, which he alternated with bouquets. But at Treport no one seemed
to mind her being stupid, and indeed M. de Talbrun hardly thought of
her existence, up to the moment when they were all nearly caught by
the first wave that came rolling in over the croquet-ground, when all the
girls took flight, flushed, animated, and with lively gesticulation, while
the gentlemen followed with the box into which had been hastily flung
hoops, balls, and mallets.
On their way Count Oscar condescendingly explained to Fred, as to a
novice, that the only good thing about croquet was that it brought men
and girls together. He was himself very good at games, he said, having
remarkably firm muscles and exceptionally sharp sight; but he went on
to add that he had not been able to show what he could do that day. The
wet sand did not make so good a croquet-ground as the one he had had
made in his park! It is a good thing to know one's ground in all
circumstances, but especially in playing croquet. Then, dexterously
passing from the game to the players, he went on to say, under cover of
giving Fred a warning, that a man need not fear going too far with
those girls from America--they had known how to flirt from the time

they were born. They could look out for themselves, they had talons
and beaks; but up to a certain point they were very easy to get on with.
Those other players were queer little things; the three sisters Wermant
were not wanting in chic, but, hang it!--the sweetest flower of them all,
to his mind, was the tall one, the dark one--unripe fruit in perfection!
"And a year or two hence," added M. de Talbrun, with all the
self-confidence of an expert, "every one will be talking