"Mademoiselle la bouquetière, I want a fine bouquet for my mistress, Madame de Belleval; all the rarest flowers that you have; the price does not matter. I will give you a hundred sous in advance, and if that isn't enough, she will give you the rest."
"That will be enough, monsieur; for a hundred sous I will make you a superb bouquet!"
"But, mademoiselle, you must have the kindness to carry it to madame yourself, for I am in a great hurry; I haven't time to wait, and I shan't come back this way."
"I am to carry the bouquet? Is it far from here?"
"No, mademoiselle, Boulevard Beaumarchais, 98."
"No, mademoiselle; you know, if you don't leave the boulevard, you are soon there."
"Oh! I know all about that, and if there is no great hurry----"
"By the way, madame wants also to order a smaller one for to-morrow, to take to a wedding or a ball; madame will explain to you about it. So she can rely upon the bouquet, mademoiselle?"
"To be sure, monsieur, as I have received the money. You say Madame de Belleval, Boulevard Beaumarchais, 98?"
The servant disappeared, and Violette began to select her finest flowers, saying to herself:
"It seems that this is likely to be a good customer! I can make as much as I choose! To think that Georget, when he was without money the other day and his mother was sick, didn't apply to me! And he says that he loves me! Perhaps I spoke too harshly to him; and he thinks that I have an unfeeling heart; I don't want him to think that!"
When the girl had finished the bouquet, with which she took the greatest care, she asked a neighbor to look after her booth and started for Boulevard Beaumarchais; she arrived at the number given her; she entered an attractive, newly-built house and asked the concierge:
The concierge assumed the expression of a person who does not know what one means; then suddenly he remembered and slapped his leg, exclaiming:
"Ah! what a stupid fool I am! I forgot all about it.--Go up to the fifth floor, the door at the right, for Madame de Belleval."
Violette went upstairs, saying to herself:
"That concierge acted very strangely when he answered me; perhaps he always has that manner. It's surprising that a lady who buys such handsome bouquets should live so high; but lodgings are very dear now; and after all, it's none of my business."