Madame Lerat alone was not in the secret and she felt extremely vexed.
"That's very impolite behavior on your part, young ladies," said she.
"It is not right to whisper when other people are present.

Something indecent no doubt! Ah! that's becoming!" She did not dare go so far as to ask them to pass Sophie's remark on to her although she burned to hear it.

So she kept her eyes on her work, amusing herself by listening to the conversation.

Now no one could make even an innocent remark without the others twisting it around and connecting it with the gentleman on the sidewalk.

Madame Lerat herself once sent them into convulsions of laughter when she said, "Mademoiselle Lisa, my fire's gone out.