She took her head with both hands and kissed her lips passionately. Violette instinctively drew back to avoid the kiss, but the Countess kept hold of her.

“Do look now,” she said, beginning to thee and thou her; “how your charming head is set off by the black satin dress.” And she led her to the mirror placed between the two windows. The beautiful fair locks of the Countess fell over Violette's face and mingled with her black hair.

“A! I should have liked to be fair-haired,” said Violette.

“Why so?”

“Because I think fair-haired women are much prettier than dark ones.”

“Do you really speak the truth, my jewel?”

“Oh yes!” said Violette, looking at the Countess with more curiosity than desire.

“As for me, I am only half a blonde,” said the Countess.

“How is that?”

“My eyes and eyebrows are black.”

“But they are very pretty!” said Violette innocently.

“Then you think that I am very handsome?”

“Exceedingly handsome!”

“You little flatterer!” said the Countess, putting her arm round Violette's waist and drawing her on her lap.

“But I shall fatigue you.”

“Never! How warm it is here, little one.”

“But you are buttoned up as if it were winter.”

“You are right, I can hardly breathe. If I were certain nobody would come, I should take off my corset.”

“Have no fear. Nobody will come.”

“There,” said the Countess; and in a moment she unbuttoned her dress and took off her corset, keeping on only a long cambric undergown and her satin dress, which she partly buttoned up again.

“And you, do you not feel too warm in your cashmere dress?”

“Oh, no, see how light it is.”

It was now Violette's turn to undo the bodice of her gown and appear in her pretty cambric chemise and with her naked feet in velvet slippers. The two globes on her breasts showed admirably under the light texture.