—­Eh!  Eh! it is I, I, I, my little dear.  How happy I am to see you again, to find you here, comfortably installed like a little queen.  Eh, eh.

Madame Connard put her head in for an instant, smiled, and cautiously closed the door; “He is still pretty young for his age,” she said to herself.  “Ah, these men! these men! that goes on to the very end.”

XCI.

THE CALVES.

  “Non formosus erat sed erat facundus Ulixes.”

  OVID.

Zulma had run forward to meet him.  He took hold of both her hands and made her sit down close beside him on the sofa.

—­Well, what is the news?  How have they received you here?  Are you satisfied?  Have you had a good dinner?

—­Too good, replied Zulma:  I am afraid I have spent a deal of money.

—­A deal of money!  Eh, eh! the good little girl!  But you have nothing to pay here, my little puss.  Nothing at all to pay, nothing at all.  All the expense is my concern, and the more you spend, the better pleased I shall be.  Have they not told you that, told you that, told you that?

—­You are too kind, Monsieur; but I, what shall I do then for you?

—­She is heavenly, eh, eh!  But I want nothing, darling, nothing, nothing ... except to see your pretty eyes.  When we see them once, we have only one wish, and that is to see them again, again, again.  I am well paid for the little I have done for you, since I have that pleasure.  Yes, yes, yes.  We are only too happy for what we can do for a charming little face like yours, and when we have obliged it, we say thank you!  That is what I do, my little duck; thank-you, thank-you, thank-you.

—­I am very grateful to you....

—­That is what I was thinking.  I want to kiss you for that kind word.  Alas, we come across so many ungrateful people in the world....  What a fine and velvety skin; how soft it is under the lips ... again, again....  I could eat it ... again....  Ah, you do not want to again.  What are you afraid of?  I might be your father....  Come, another little kiss for poor papa.

Zulma let him kiss her again.

[PLATE V:  THE CALVES.  “I want to see them again, again, again.”

—­Well, there they are, but do not touch.

—­Oh, oh, you are cheating.  That is only half, I want to see them all ... up to the knees.]

[Illustration]

—­Ah, what a pretty girl!  Look how strong and well made she is! continued the old President passing his trembling hand over the young girl’s waist:  have not these breasts grown a little thin?  Yes, I believe, a little, a little, but how firm they are! like a rock, like a rock; hard as a rock, heavenly girl....  Eh, eh! you are drawing back, you are afraid of me ... of me who might be your papa.

—­And perhaps my grandpapa, said Zulma.

—­Grandpapa!  Ah, the little girl is not flattering.  Grandfather! you think then that I am quite old?  I am going to pinch her calves for that naughty word, those big calves which I saw at Vic, and which have turned my head.  Have they grown smaller too?  Let us see, let us see.