floor, said to me,--

"There she is."

"What, mademoiselle! You here? I am delighted to see you."

"This is not a young lady, sir, 'tis my dear wife; but I hope that will
not hinder you from embracing her."

"I have never had such an honour; but I will avail myself of your
permission with pleasure. Then you have got married at Montpellier. I
congratulate both of you, and wish you all health and happiness. Tell me,
did you have a pleasant journey from Vienna to Lyons?"

Madame Blasin (for so I must continue to designate her) answered my
question according to her fancy, and found me as good an actor as she was
an actress.

We were very glad to see each other again, but the apothecary was
delighted at the great respect with which I treated his wife.

For a whole hour we carried on a conversation of a perfectly imaginary
character, and with all the simplicity of perfect truth.

She asked me if I thought of spending the carnival at Montpellier, and
seemed quite mortified when I said that I thought of going on the next
day.

Her husband hastened to say that that was quite out of the question.