She has a fine erect head, clear and singularly expressive features, a
warm complexion, a Grecian nose, with quivering nostrils, and a mouth
adorned with pearly teeth, with a soft, black, downy growth on her upper
lip. She is an Andalusian, overflowing with life and spirits, whose
exuberance, however, is tempered by her graceful and truly refined
demeanour. One can guess what a fire of passion smoulders within her.
My uncle was in perfection that evening. From time to time he discarded
his philosophic calm in order to take a look at us and reply in Spanish
to his fair friend's questions. He addressed her as "querida," in that
indulgent tone which is peculiar to him, like a pasha who is signifying
his approbation.
During the course of our conversation I discovered that things had gone
on like this between them since the day after that famous scene at
Villebon, whose lively incidents had doubtless conduced to this friendly
reconciliation. How had my uncle managed to get round the ferocious
native of Toulon? That I could never discover. However this may have
been, after the play was over, we went off, all three of us, to the Café
Anglais.
We had a capital supper, during which Madame Jean Bonaffé, feeling more
at her ease under these intimate circumstances, gave free play to her
fascinations. I could soon perceive that in her pleasure at forgetting
her regrettable escapades of the past, her grief over her supposed
widowhood, and also the short-lived and illegal marriage which she had
contracted by mistake, she expected that my uncle would settle her at
Paris. She appeared to speak of this happy prospect as of something upon
which her mind was set, and it gave rise to a number of beautiful
castles in the air.
Barbassou-Pasha, gallant and attentive as ever, listened to all these
proposed arrangements for her felicity, in that good-natured,
patronizing manner which he always maintains with women, and only
departs from in the case of my aunt Eudoxia, who keeps him in check.
Nodding his approval of everything she said, he went on eating and
drinking, like a practical man who will not neglect the claims of a good
supper, and he allowed the fair Andalusian to lavish all her attentions
upon him.
About two o'clock in the morning, we took a brougham, drove back my
aunt to the Rue de l'Arcade, where she occupies a splendidly furnished
suite of rooms, and then returned home.
"What do you think of all that, my dear Louis? Hum!"
Our little circle has been augmented by a very pleasant and genial
addition, Mr. Edward Wolsey, a nephew of the commodore's, who may very
likely be engaged to Maud.