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Updated: May 23, 2025
A party of young nymphs formed the court of this fair goddess, doing their best to lend her their aid. Jacqueline was one of them, and, at the moment Fred approached, she was offering, with the tips of her fingers, a glass of champagne to M. de Cymier, who at the same time was eagerly trying to persuade her to believe something, about which she was gayly laughing, while she shook her head.
"Wanda," interrupted Jacqueline, "did you not know what happened once?" "Happened, how? About what?" asked Madame Strahlberg, with an air of innocence. "I am speaking of the way Monsieur de Cymier treated me." "Bah! He was in love with you. Who didn't know it? Every one could see that. It was all the more reason why you should have been glad to meet him."
"Like that of good parents, such as we are," added M. de Nailles, ending her sentence with an expression of grateful emotion. For one moment the Baronne paled under this compliment. "What did you say to Madame d'Argy?" she hastened to ask. "I said we must give the young fellow's beard time to grow." "Yes, that was right. I prefer Monsieur de Cymier a hundred times over.
She was sitting under a large parasol and enjoying her own superiority over those wretched, amphibious creatures who waddled on the sands before her, comparing Madame X to a seal and Mademoiselle Z to the skeleton of a cuttle-fish. "Well! it was that kind of thing you wished me to marry," said M. de Cymier, in a tone of resentment. "But, my poor friend, what would you have?
She was sore, she was angry with all men, she wished all were like Cymier or like Marien, that she might hate every one of them; she came to the conclusion in her heart of hearts that all of them, even the best, if put to the proof, would turn out selfish. She liked to think so to believe in none of them.
M. de Cymier said more than was necessary about his participation in their grief, because he was conscious of a total lack of sympathy.
He said the truth, for he was disturbed by seeing M. de Cymier so slow in making his proposals, and he was also aware that young girls in our day are less sought for in marriage than they used to be. His friend Wermant, rich as he was, had had some trouble in capturing for Berthe a fellow of no account in the Faubourg St. Germain, and the prize was not much to be envied.
I should feel the same myself. In the bewilderment of a first grief one does not care to see anything of the world. 'Mon Dieu'! youth always has these exaggerated notions. She will come back to us. Poor little thing! Of course it was no fault of hers, and I should not think of blaming Monsieur de Cymier.
"At any rate," thought Madame de Nailles, "if Fred comes forward as a suitor it may stimulate Monsieur de Cymier. There are men who put off taking a decisive step till the last moment, and are only to be spurred up by competition." So every opportunity was given to Fred to talk freely with Jacqueline when he returned to Paris. By this time he wore two gold-lace stripes upon his sleeve.
But to certain temperaments there is pleasure in breaking a chain or in leaping a barrier; she said: "Fred, I am too much your friend to deceive you." At that moment M. de Cymier came toward them with his air of assurance: "Mademoiselle, you forget that you promised me this waltz," he said. "No, I never forget anything," she answered, rising.
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