"Oh, by Jove! I've nearly done for the little coffin."
ALWAYS up first in the morning, Bijou was in the habit of going downstairs towards seven o'clock, in order to attend to her housekeeping duties.
She always paid a visit to the pantry, and to the dairy, and, with the exception of Pierrot, who was sometimes wandering about the passages with very sleepy-looking eyes, she never met anybody at this early hour.
To her astonishment, therefore, on this particular morning she nearly ran up against M. de Rueille, who was coming out of the library with a book in his hand.
Of all the visitors at Bracieux he was the laziest, so that Bijou laughed as she commented on his early rising.
"How's this?" she asked; "have you finished your slumbers already?"
"No, and as I had finished all the literature I had upstairs, I came down to get a book to finish my night with."
Bijou pointed to the sun, which was streaming in by the open window.
"Oh, as far as I am concerned, you know, unless I am going out shooting, or off by train somewhere, it is night up to ten o'clock, at least!"
"On the contrary, it is very wise, and all the more so, as, when one is in a bad temper, the best thing to do is to keep one's self out of the way."
Paul de Rueille hesitated slightly before answering.
"It's quite true," said Bijou, laughing, "that you were not very amiable yesterday during our journey to Pont-sur-Loire."
"Yes, I should like; but not now, because I am keeping some one waiting in the dairy."
"Who is waiting for you?" he asked anxiously.
"The dairy-maid," answered Bijou, without noticing his anxiety.
"Oh! go at once, then, if that is the case," said M. de Rueille sarcastically. "I should not like the dairy-maid to be kept waiting on my account."
"You should come and see the cheeses," proposed Denyse.
"That must certainly be very festive; no, really, are you not afraid that I should find that too exciting, Bijou, my dear?"
"You would find it as exciting, anyhow, as going to bed, and reading over again some old book that you must know by heart. Oh, you know it by heart, I am sure! There is nothing in the library but the classics, or a lot of old-fashioned things; ever since I have come no new books are put in the library, either in the Paris house or here at Bracieux. Grandmamma is so afraid that I should get hold of them; but she is quite mistaken, for I should never open a book that I had been told not to open--never!"