"You see," she said to her father, "I never could fall in love; you made
me too hard to please. I always knew beforehand that no one could ever
love me as you did. I saw so many things come into your face when I was
there, such happiness! And when we went anywhere together, weren't you
proud of me! Oh! weren't you just proud to have me leaning on your arm!
It would have been all no good for any one else to have loved me; I
should never have found any one like my own father; you spoiled me too
much."
"But all that won't prevent my dear little girl one of these fine days,
when she gets well, finding a handsome young man----"
"Oh, your handsome young man is a long way off yet," said Renée, a smile
lighting up her eyes. "It seems strange to you," she went on, "doesn't
it, that I have never seemed anxious to marry. Well, I tell you, it is
your own fault. Oh, I'm not sorry in the least. What more did I want?
Why, I had everything; I could not imagine any other happiness. I never
even thought of such a thing. I didn't want any change. I was so well
off. What _could_ I have had, now, more than I already had? My life was
so happy with you; and I was so contented. Yes," she went on, after a
minute's silence, "if I had been like so many girls, if I had had
parents who were cold and a father not at all like you; oh yes, I should
certainly have done as other girls do, I should have wanted to be loved,
I should have thought about marriage as they do. Then, too, I may as
well tell you all, I should have had hard work to fall in love; it was
never much in my way, all that sort of thing, and it always made me
laugh. Do you remember before Henriette's marriage, when her husband was
making love to her? How I did tease them! _'Bad child!'_ do you
remember, that was what they used to call me. Oh, I've had my fancies,
like every one else; dreamy days when I used to go about building
castles in the air. One wouldn't be a woman without all that. But it was
only like a little music in my mind; it just gave me a little
excitement. It all came and went in my imagination; but I never had any
special man in my mind, oh never. And then, too, when once I came out of
my room, it was all over. As soon as ever any one was there, I only had
my eyes; I thought of nothing but watching everything so that I could
laugh afterward--and you know how your dreadful daughter could watch.
They would have had to----"
"Monsieur," said Chrétiennot, opening the door, M. Magu is downstairs;
"he wants to know if he can see mademoiselle."
"Oh, father," said Renée, beseechingly, "no doctor to-day, please. I
don't feel inclined. I'm very well. And then, too, he snorts so; why
does he snort like that, father?"