With her arms uplifted, she leisurely arranged and smoothed the
ribbons, her face turned towards the golden rays of the sun. Somewhat
surprised, Claude looked in vain for the traits of childish softness
that he had just portrayed; the upper part of her face, her clear
forehead, her gentle eyes had become less conspicuous; and now the
lower part stood out, with its somewhat sensual jaw, ruddy mouth, and
superb teeth. And still she smiled with that enigmatical, girlish
smile, which was, perhaps, an ironical one.

'At any rate,' he said, in a vexed tone, 'I do not think you have
anything to reproach me with.'

At which she could not help laughing, with a slight, nervous laugh.

'No, no, monsieur, not in the least.'

He continued staring at her, fighting the battle of inexperience and
bashfulness over again, and fearing that he had been ridiculous. Now
that she no longer trembled before him, had she become contemptuously
surprised at having trembled at all? What! he had not made the
slightest attempt at courtship, not even pressed a kiss on her
finger-tips. The young fellow's bearish indifference, of which she had
assuredly been conscious, must have hurt her budding womanly feelings.

'You were saying,' she resumed, becoming sedate once more, 'that the
cabstand is at the end of the bridge on the opposite quay?'

'Yes; at the spot where there is a clump of trees.'

She had finished tying her bonnet strings, and stood ready gloved,