We were both silent for some time; Clairette broke the silence:
"What, monsieur!" she said, staring with all her eyes, "what! are you thirty years old?"
"Yes, mademoiselle," I replied at once, recalling what my companion had told me, and thinking that that falsehood might lead to some amusing adventures. Moreover, as you must know, a young man of fifteen is always well pleased to appear older and more mature than he is; whereas at thirty, he regrets that he is not fifteen still.
"Bless my soul! why, I can't get over it! Thirty years old! You don't look half of it!"
And Clairette examined me more closely; I made no objection and tried to play the exquisite.
"You must have some secret, monsieur, to keep you from growing old?"
"Yes, mademoiselle; and I have many others too."
"Oh! if you could only tell me that one, monsieur! I'd be so pleased, so happy--to look young forever! Ah! how delightful that would be! I promise you that I won't tell your secret. You see, I wouldn't want the other girls in town to stay young too! 'twould take away all the pleasure.--Monsieur, will you be kind enough to--I say--if you will, you can ask me for all you choose!"
The young servant seemed, in very truth, predisposed in my favor; I already felt innumerable desires surging in my heart; but I dared not make them known as yet; I was very green, but I felt a longing to cease to be, and I wished to receive my first instructions from Clairette.
However, when you pretend to be thirty years old, you don't want to appear to be an ignoramus; and, in order to avoid talking and acting awkwardly, I held my peace and did nothing but look at Clairette.
The girl, amazed by my silence, was afraid that she had said too much; however, the desire to remain young tormented her so that she soon renewed her questions.
"They say you're a somnambulist, monsieur?"
"I put those people to sleep who believe in my skill."
"Oh! I believe in it absolutely, monsieur! and if you would put me to sleep--Perhaps that is what gives the young look?"
"Oh! begin me, monsieur, please! it will be so much done! Please, while we're alone and you've got time----"
"To be put to sleep, monsieur. See, I'm all ready."
I was terribly embarrassed; I didn't know how to go to work to play the sorcerer, and I bitterly regretted that I had not asked my little hunchback for fuller details as to that matter. However, as I did not desire to be cruel any longer to young Clairette, who appeared to me in such charming fashion, I said to myself: "Parbleu! I'm not any more stupid than my hunchback; he hasn't taught me his way of putting people to sleep, so I'll invent a way of my own, and perhaps mine will be just as good as his."