A few days after this the marchioness, with her husband and
cousin, were rambling over the grounds, when they found themselves
at the entrance of a hermitage, where madame de l'Hopital had
told the marquis she had sat down to rest herself on the day of
her failing to attend the dinner-hour. M. de l'Hopital resumed
the dispute, by protesting that from this situation the dinner-bell
might easily be heard: the lady continued firm in protesting it
could not, till, at last, feigning extreme anger, she exclaimed.
"Well then, sir, since you refuse to believe
assertion, go
yourself and ring the bell as loudly as you please, your cousin
will remain here with me, and determine if it be possible to
distinguish the sound from here."
The fool of a marquis set off in the height of his zeal to convince
his wife, and, arriving at the turret where the bell was placed,
began ringing it with all his might and main, leaving the lovers
the undisturbed opportunity they were not slow in taking advantage
of. When the marquis had ceased his chimes, the loving pair went
to meet him.
"Well, my good cousin," inquired he, as they approached, "which
of us was right? Could you hear it or not?"
"Yourself, most assuredly," replied the young man, not without a
slight blush. "I can assure you that both madame and myself
heard the bell the whole time you were ringing it.
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