Yvette | Page 9

his prey. Come, give me your arm, and let us find your friend."
Silently he offered her his arm and they went down the long drawing- room together.
Saval was not alone, for the Marquise Obardi had rejoined him. She conversed with him on ordinary and fashionable subjects with a seductiveness in her tones which intoxicated him. And, looking at her with his mental eye, it seemed to him that her lips, uttered words far different from those which they formed. When she saw Servigny her face immediately lighted up, and turning toward him she said:
"You know, my dear Duke, that I have just leased a villa at Bougival for two months, and I count upon your coming to see me there, and upon your friend also. Listen. We take possession next Monday, and shall expect both of you to dinner the following Saturday. We shall keep you over Sunday."
Perfectly serene and tranquil Yvette smiled, saying with a decision which swept away hesitation on his part:
"Of course Muscade will come to dinner on Saturday. We have only to ask him, for he and I intend to commit a lot of follies in the country."
He thought he divined the birth of a promise in her smile, and in her voice he heard what he thought was invitation.
Then the Marquise turned her big, black eyes upon Saval: "And you will, of course, come, Baron?"
With a smile that forbade doubt, he bent toward her, saying, "I shall be only too charmed, Madame."
Then Yvette murmured with malice that was either naive or traitorous: "We will set all the world by the ears down there, won't we, Muscade, and make my regiment of admirers fairly mad." And with a look, she pointed out a group of men who were looking at them from a little distance.
Said Servigny to her: "As many follies as YOU may please, Mam'zelle."
In speaking to Yvette, Servigny never used the word "Mademoiselle," by reason of his close and long intimacy with her.
Then Saval asked: "Why does Mademoiselle always call my friend Servigny 'Muscade'?"
Yvette assumed a very frank air and said:
"I will tell you: It is because he always slips through my hands. Now I think I have him, and then I find I have not."
The Marquise, with her eyes upon Saval, arid evidently preoccupied, said in a careless tone: "You children are very funny."
But Yvette bridled up: "I do not intend to be funny; I am simply frank. Muscade pleases me, and is always deserting me, and that is what annoys me."
Servigny bowed profoundly, saying: "I will never leave you any more, Mam'zelle, neither day nor night." She made a gesture of horror:
"My goodness! no--what do you mean? You are all right during the day, but at night you might embarrass me."
With an air of impertinence he asked: "And why?"
Yvette responded calmly and audaciously, "Because you would not look well en deshabille."
The Marquise, without appearing at all disturbed, said: "What extraordinary subjects for conversation. One would think that you were not at all ignorant of such things."
And Servigny jokingly added: "That is also my opinion, Marquise."
Yvette turned her eyes upon him, and in a haughty, yet wounded, tone said: "You are becoming very vulgar--just as you have been several times lately." And turning quickly she appealed to an individual standing by:
"Chevalier, come and defend me from insult."
A thin, brown man, with an easy carriage, came forward.
"Who is the culprit?" said he, with a constrained smile.
Yvette pointed out Servigny with a nod of her head:
"There he is, but I like him better than I do you, because he is less of a bore."
The Chevalier Valreali bowed:
"I do what I can, Mademoiselle. I may have less ability, but not less devotion."
A gentleman came forward, tall and stout, with gray whiskers, saying in loud tones: "Mademoiselle Yvette, I am your most devoted slave."
Yvette cried: "Ah, Monsieur de Belvigne." Then turning toward Saval, she introduced him.
"My last adorer--big, fat, rich, and stupid. Those are the kind I like. A veritable drum-major--but of the table d'hote. But see, you are still bigger than he. How shall I nickname you? Good! I have it. I shall call you 'M. Colossus of Rhodes, Junior,' from the Colossus who certainly was your father. But you two ought to have very interesting things to say to each other up there, above the heads of us all--so, by-bye."
And she left them quickly, going to the orchestra to make the musicians strike up a quadrille.
Madame Obardi seemed preoccupied. In a soft voice she said to Servigny:
"You are always teasing her. You will warp her character and bring out many bad traits."
Servigny replies: "Why, haven't you finished her education?"
She appeared not to understand, and continued talking in a friendly way. But she noticed a solemn looking man, wearing a perfect constellation of crosses and orders,