The idea of turning up her nose at Monsieur de Gerfaut! What presumption! He certainly is too clever ever to solicit the honor of being bored to death in her house; for he is clever, very clever.

I never could understand your dislike for him, nor your haughty manner of treating him; especially, during the latter part of our stay in Paris." "One is not mistress of one's dislikes or affections, aunt.

But to reply to your questions, I will say that you may rest assured that none of these gentlemen, nor any of those whom you might name, has the slightest effect upon my state of mind.

I am bored because it probably is my nature to need distractions, and there are none in this deserted place.
It is an involuntary disagreeableness, for which I reproach myself and which I hope will pass away.

Rest assured, that the root of the evil does not lie in my heart." Mademoiselle de Corandeuil understood by the cold and rather dry tone in which these words were spoken that her niece wished to keep her secret, if she had one; she could not prevent a gesture of anger as she saw her advances thus repelled, but felt that she was no wiser than when she began the conversation.