The lunch seemed to be ready in about three minutes, and it was merely perfection. Such steak, such masterly handling of green vegetables, and such 'nuns!' And the wine!
There were three at table, Mimisse being the third. Mimisse partook of everything except wine.
'You see I am a woman _pot-au-feu_,' said Cosette, not without satisfaction, in response to his praises of the meal. He did not exactly know what a woman _pot-au-feu_ might be, but he agreed enthusiastically that she was that sort of woman.
At the stage of coffee--Mimisse had a piece of sugar steeped in coffee--she produced cigarettes, and made him light his cigarette at hers, and put her elbows on the table and looked at his ears. She was still wearing the apron, which appeared to Henry to be an apron of ineffable grace.
'So you are _fiancé, mon petit_? Eh?' she said.
'Who told you?' Henry asked quickly. 'Tom?'
She nodded; then sighed. He was instructed to describe Geraldine in detail. Cosette sighed once more.
'Who knows?' she answered. '_Dites!_ English ladies are cold? Like that?' She affected the supercilious gestures of Englishwomen whom she had seen in the streets and elsewhere. 'No?'
'Frenchwomen are better? Yes? _Dites-moi franchement._ You think?'
'You like Frenchwomen more than those cold Englishwomen who have no _chic_?'
She rose, and just grazed his ear with her little finger. '_Va!_' she said.
He felt that she was beyond anything in his previous experience.
A little later she told him she had to go to the Scala to sign her contract, and she issued an order that he was to take Mimisse out for a little exercise, and return for her in half an hour, when she would be dressed. So Henry went forth with Mimisse at the end of a strap.
In the Boulevard de Clichy who should accost him but Tom, whom he had left asleep as usual at the hotel!
'Cosette's,' said Henry, unsuccessfully trying to assume a demeanour at once natural and tranquil.
'My young friend,' said Tom, 'I perceive that it will be necessary to look after you. I was just going to my studio, but I will accompany you in your divagations.'
They returned to the Rue de Bruxelles together. Cosette was dressed in all her afternoon splendour, for the undoing of theatrical managers. The rôle of woman _pot-au-feu_ was finished for that day.