While she was looking at the ladies she was seeing Valentin de Bellegarde.

He, at all events, was seeing her.

He put down the roughly-besmeared canvas and addressed a little click with his tongue, accompanied by an elevation of the eyebrows, to Newman.
"Where have you been all these months ?" asked Mademoiselle Noemie of our hero.

"You took those great journeys, you amused yourself well ?" "Oh, yes," said Newman.

"I amused myself well enough." "I am very glad," said Mademoiselle Noemie with extreme gentleness, and she began to dabble in her colors again.