"
"Heavens, no!"
"You should cultivate a contented frame of mind. Madame Didier, and
beware of grumbling."
"Was I grumbling?"
"You were complaining--complaining of the stairs, and it is a pernicious
habit. Don't encourage it."
"But, indeed--" Marie was beginning with a smile, when he interrupted
her with a majestic wave of his hand.
"_Halte la_! Now you are contradicting, and that is another bad habit,
particularly for a woman. But nobody knows when they are well off in
these days. I often say to my friends: 'There is Madame Didier, she
lives in that nice airy attic of ours; she has no one to think of but
herself, no cares, no responsibilities; she ought to be as happy as a
bird.' Look at me, I entreat you; what a contrast! At everybody's beck
and call, cooped up in a draughty little den, making shoes with a
thousand interruptions. I ask you what sort of a life is that for a man
of my stamp? If you were to try it for a week, you'd find out whether
you were not a lucky woman! But, there, as I said before, nobody ever
knows when they are well off--not even widows. I say all this because I
take a real interest in you."
"I know you do, M. Plon, if only for the sake of my poor husband," said
Marie demurely. To say the truth she was often in a state of
uncomfortable doubt as to whether M.
Pages:
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221