"I've got that--within reach; my law firm has it. But, pshaw! _I_ think, Beloiseau, while all your maybe's may be right the thing that explains mademoiselle's whole situation is that she's never seen a man worthy to touch a hem of her robe; and the only argument a lover can lay at her feet is that she never will."
"Not till that manuscript business is settled, don't you see? Come, you must go to bed."
Shrimps, rice, and watered wine for a sunset dinner. At its end the three Chapdelaines, each with her small cup of black coffee, left the table and its remnants to the other two members of the household, and passed out as usual to the bower benches and the goldfish pool.
Humming-birds were there, drinking frenziedly from honeysuckle cups to the health of all things beautiful and ecstatic. Mlle. Yvonne stood at a bench's end to watch one of them dart from bloom to bloom. "Ah, Corinne," she sighed, "if we could all be juz' humming-bird'!"
"_Chérie_," cried her sister, "you are spilling yo' coffee!"
Whether for the coffee, for the fact that we can't all be humming-birds, or for some thought not yet spoken, Mlle. Corinne's eyes were all but spilling their tears. As the trio sat down. Aline said in gentlest accusation to the younger aunt:
The younger sister looked appealingly to the elder. "_Chère_," Mlle. Corinne said to the girl, "we are anxiouz to confezz you something. We woul'n' never be anxiouz to confezz that, only we're af-raid already you've foun' us out!"
"Yes. I came this evening by Ovide's shop to return a book----"
"Ah, _chèrie_," Yvonne tearfully broke in, "can you ever pardon that to us?"
Aline smiled: "Oh, yes; in the course of time, I suppose. That was not like a drinking-saloon."
"Ah-h! not in the leas'! We di'n' touch there a drop--nobodie di'n' offer us!"
The niece addressed the other aunt: "Go on. Tell me why you were there."
"Aline, we'll confess us! We wend there biccause--we are orphan'! Of co'se, we know that biffo', sinze long time, many, many year'; but only sinze a few day'----"
"Joy-ride day," Aline put in, a bit tensely.
"Ah, no! _Chérie_, you muz' not supose----"
"Well, sinze those laz' few day' we bigin to feel like we juz' got to take step' ab-oud that!"