"I do not know, unless it were Pierrot's tutor; but he is not so very nice-looking----"
"Look, there he is," said M. de Clagny, indicating M. Giraud.
"Ah!" exclaimed Bijou, in astonishment; "yes, that is he!"
She was amazed both at the count's admiration, and at the transformation which Jean's dress-coat had made.
Arrayed in this garment of a perfect cut, and which fitted him wonderfully well, the young tutor looked quite at his ease.
"Well," said Henry, coming up to Denyse, "wasn't my idea a bright one? Do you see the difference?"--and then, as she did not answer quickly enough for his liking, he added: "I'll bet anything you don't see it; women never can see those things when it's a question of men."
The guests were all arriving. First the La Balues, imperturbable, absurd in the extreme, but so blissfully happy, so full of admiration, and so perfectly satisfied with themselves that one would have been sorry to have undeceived them. Then came Hubert de Bernès, arrayed, as Bijou had prophesied, in his uniform, and looking all round the drawing-room carefully afraid of meeting what he was in the habit of calling '_any big pots_.' The Juzencourts arrived last of all, bringing with them Madame de Nézel, a very pretty and exquisitely-dressed woman. She was extremely refined-looking and supple, with that suppleness peculiar to Creoles; she had a jessamine-like complexion, and heavy, silky hair of jet black.
Bijou, who was looking at her with an expression of curiosity, as though she had never seen her before, remarked to M. de Clagny:
"Madame de Nézel is really very pretty--isn't she?"
He replied, in an absent sort of way, devouring Bijou all the time with his eyes:
"There is no mistaking that she comes of good family, and then, too, she's very womanly, and would respond----"
The young girl knitted her eyebrows as though she were making an effort to understand.
"Oh, nothing," answered the count, annoyed with himself. "I don't know what I was going to say."
"Bijou!" called out the marchioness suddenly, "Madame de Juzencourt wants to see the children; go and fetch them. You will allow them to come down, Bertrade? and you, too, monsieur?" she added, turning to the abbé.
M. de Clagny looked vexed at being separated from Denyse. It seemed to him already as though he could not do without her.