“Exactly the same.”
“And fish, canaries, and hamsters?”
Miss Prim, who was starting to lose patience herself, was grateful when the judge interrupted, emphatically ordering young François to cease with his questions.
“But that’s almost inhuman,” said the vet. “I can’t believe a woman as sweet as you could love in the abstract.”
Miss Prim tucked back a stray lock of hair and lowered her eyes.
“I didn’t say that,” she murmured.
“Yes, you did,” cut in Judge Bassett. “You said that the absence of the object of one’s love purifies that love. It’s a splendid theory, as I said, so don’t spoil it now with a lack of backbone.”
Miss Prim shifted in her seat. The other women at the table were discussing how to shield the Christmas-tree candles from the wind. She glanced at them enviously before returning to the fray.
“If there’s one thing I pride myself on, Judge Bassett, it’s having backbone. But I have to say that when I spoke of the absence of the object of one’s love, I was making a reference to courtly love. It was poetic license. I wasn’t referring to real love.”
The young vet gazed into her eyes before speaking.
“Do you mean that the love of animals is like courtly love? Sublimated love?”
“I mean that the love of animals isn’t love.”
The judge greeted this with a roar of laughter.
“Yes, sir,” he said in his deep voice, “yes, sir. You’re quite a woman. That’s the greatest truth on the matter I’ve heard in a long time. But tell me something: if you think the love of animals isn’t love, and you’ve never owned an animal yourself, then why the blazes did you say you adored animals?”
Miss Prim looked at François and what she saw in his eyes prompted her to be candid. It was useless to go on pretending. The current of sympathy that had sprung up between them when they were introduced had completely disappeared. What had she expected? The afternoon had started badly with that unpleasant exchange with her employer. She shouldn’t be surprised that it had continued in the same vein.
“I was just trying to be friendly,” she said to the vet, who quickly averted his gaze and stared down at the plate of toast with butter and honey that sat on the table.
“Here in the village we’re in the habit of being frank, you know. It’s one of the reasons some of us have come here, to escape the small talk,” the old judge said curtly.
At these words, Miss Prim’s back stiffened once again.
“May I point out, Judge Bassett, that being friendly is not the same as making small talk.”
“You’re right,” said François, his gaze meeting hers, “you can be friendly and tell the truth. There’s nothing preventing it.”
Miss Prim reddened, and at that moment realized something that filled her with amazement: she had told a lie without being aware of it. She, who prided herself on being incapable of lying, had lied without batting an eyelid. She hadn’t blushed, hadn’t been perturbed, hadn’t felt her heart race. She’d tried to impress the young man with a ridiculous, silly lie, and she’d done so without turning a hair. Was this the first time it had happened? Deeply ashamed, she had to admit to herself that it wasn’t. And then, silently within her, a huge question formed: Could it be that everything she had so proudly throughout her life termed herdelicacywas simply a discreet, efficient cover for her lies? She’d never tolerated deception regarding her strong opinions—that much was true. But wasn’t it also true that when it came to trying to please in matters that weren’t crucial to her, that didn’t compromise her sense of things, she had been dishonest?
“I’m sorry,” she said, quickly rising to her feet, “but I think I have to leave.”
Everyone at the table stood up.
“I hope you weren’t offended by what I said,” inquired the vet anxiously. Seeing Miss Prim so flustered seemed to have reawakened his sympathy toward her.
“Offended? Why would she be offended?” asked Herminia Treaumont.
“Don’t worry, Herminia, we were just bantering,” said Miss Prim, trying to make light of the situation. “We were discussing animals and small talk, nothing that could offend anyone.”
“Our guest has been a revelation, Herminia. She’s delighted us with her conversation,” said Judge Bassett. “I wonder if she’d like to work for me, now that Amelia is thinking of leaving and I’m being accused of enslaving young women.”
“Now, now, don’t talk nonsense,” replied Herminia fondly.
Miss Prim laughed, flattered.
“It’s a tempting offer,” she said. “But I’m afraid I already have a job I love.”
