As they crossed the path which led to the stable, they saw M. de Rueille and Jean de Blaye advancing towards them, deep in conversation.
"Look!" said Pierrot, "as you weren't in the drawing-room our two cousins made themselves scarce there."
Denyse was going forward to meet them, but he stopped her abruptly.
"No, please don't, they'd stick to us all the time, and I shouldn't have you to myself at all. It's such a piece of luck for me to be with you for a minute without Monsieur Giraud; he's always at my heels, especially when I'm anywhere near you."
Bijou was looking attentively at the two men, who were coming towards her, but who were so deeply absorbed that they had not seen her, and between her somewhat heavy eyelids appeared that little gleam which gave at times a singular intensity of expression to her usually soft-looking eyes.
"Very well," she answered, entering the stable, "let us take Patatras his clover without them."
M. de Rueille was walking along with his eyes fixed on the gravel of the garden-path. He looked up on hearing the door open. Jean de Blaye pointed to the stable.
"Look here," he said, "_that's_ the cause of all the trouble and worry that I can detect in every single word you say; and it's the cause, too, of the sort of petty spite that you have against me."
"Indeed!" replied Rueille, putting on a joking air; "and what is _that_ pray?"
"Why, Bijou, of course. Oh, you need not try to deny it. Do you think I have not followed up, hour by hour, all that has been passing in your mind?"
"Don't humbug; you are scarcely inclined for that sort of thing just now. I saw very well just when you began to admire Bijou, quite unconsciously, more than one does admire, as a rule, a little cousin one is fond of. It was the evening of the _Grand Prix_ at Uncle Alexis' when she sang--why don't you speak?"
"When we were all here together at Bracieux, never absent from each other, and you had spent every minute of the long day in Bijou's society, your--let us call it--your admiration increased, of course, and ever since yesterday, ever since your expedition to Pont-sur-Loire, it has been at the acute stage. Am I right?"
"I am not surprised; but will you explain one thing--one thing which _does_ surprise me?"