Kitty had fallen deeply in love with Vandeloup, so as he told her he
loved her in return, she thought that some day they would get
married. But nothing was farther from M. Vandeloup's thoughts than
marriage, even with Kitty, for he knew how foolish it would be for
him to marry before making a position.

'I don't want a wife to drag me back,' he said to himself one day
when Kitty had hinted at matrimony; 'when I am wealthy it will be
time enough to think of marriage, but it will be long before I am
rich, and can I wait for Bebe all that time? Alas! I do not think
so.'

The fact was, the young man was very liberal in his ideas, and
infinitely preferred a mistress to a wife. He had not any evil
designs towards Kitty, but her bright manner and charming face
pleased him, and he simply enjoyed the hours as they passed. She
idolised him, and Gaston, who was accustomed to be petted and
caressed by women, accepted all her affection as his due. Curiously
enough, Madame Midas, lynx-eyed as she was, never suspected the true
state of affairs. Vandeloup had told Kitty that no one was to know
of their love for one another, and though Kitty was dying to tell
Madame about it, yet she kept silent at his request, and acted so
indifferently towards him when under Mrs Villiers' eye, that any
doubts that lady had about the fascinations of her clerk soon
vanished.

As to M. Vandeloup, the situation was an old one for him accustomed
as he had been to carry on with guilty wives under the very noses of
unsuspecting husbands, and on this occasion he acted admirably. He