I have
agreed to be your partenaire at this dance of Papa Roussillon's,
but it is understood between us that Adrienne is your sweet-heart.
I am not, and I'm not going to be, either. So for your sake and
Adrienne's, as well as out of consideration for the rest of the
girls who have no fine dresses, I am not going to wear the buff
brocade gown that belonged to Papa Roussillon's mother long ago. I
shall dress just as the rest do."
It is safe to say that Rene de Ronville went home with a
troublesome bee in his bonnet. He was not a bad-hearted fellow.
Many a right good young man, before him and since, has loved an
Adrienne and been dazzled by an Alice. A violet is sweet, but a
rose is the garden's queen. The poor youthful frontiersman ought
to have been stronger; but he was not, and what have we to say?
As for Alice, since having a confidential talk with Adrienne
Bourcier recently, she had come to realize what M. Roussillon
meant when he said; "But my little girl is better than most of
them, not a foolish mischief-maker, I hope." She saw through the
situation with a quick understanding of what Adrienne might suffer
should Rene prove permanently fickle. The thought of it aroused
all her natural honesty and serious nobleness of character, which
lay deep under the almost hoydenish levity usually observable in
her manner.
Pages:
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90