"The Count de Clagny has come, mademoiselle, to ask how you are?" said the maid.
"Ah, yes! I had forgotten it!" And, going to the window, she asked: "Is he driving?"
"No, mademoiselle, he came on horseback; but he is in the drawing-room."
As soon as the domestic had gone, Bijou slipped on another _peignoir_ quickly. She then put on some pink kid slippers without heels, which made her little feet look delightfully droll, and with her hair hanging loosely down over the frilled collar of her long, loose dress, she ran downstairs to M. de Clagny.
On seeing her enter the room, the count rose quickly. His face looked drawn and tired, and there was a sad expression in his eyes.
"How good of you to have put yourself about to come so early on my account!" said Bijou, holding out both her hands to him. He pressed them to his lips whilst she went on: "Why, it is scarcely eight o'clock! you must have started from La Norinière awfully early!"
"Don't let us trouble about me; but tell me how you are?"
"Why, I am perfectly well, thank you! You saw yesterday that I followed the paper-chase just as though I had not had any fall beforehand; and then, in the evening at the theatre, I did not look ill, did I?"
"No, not exactly ill; but at the theatre it seemed to me that you were a little excitable and nervous." And then he added sadly: "I did not see much of you though, either; you scarcely troubled about anyone but Hubert de Bernès, and you quite forsook your poor old friend."
"Oh! how can you imagine--" she began, in a coaxing way, but he interrupted her.
"I did not imagine, alas! I saw for myself; and I am not reproaching you, my dear little girl--young people of course prefer young people, it is quite natural!"
"Oh, no!" said Bijou, with evident sincerity; "not at all--I am not so fond as all that of young people generally; and, above all, I cannot endure young men about the age of M. de Bernès."
"Yes, I remember that you told me that once before; you said so the first time I saw you; it was here in this room, when we were waiting together for the arrival of your guests to dinner."
"Always, when it is a question of you." And then, in a voice which trembled slightly, he asked: "Do you remember something you said to me yesterday?"