Was he already up? What could he be doing? She heard him plainly,
walking about with short steps, dressing himself, no doubt. She never
entered this chamber in which he chose to hide certain labors; and
which thus remained closed, like a tabernacle. One fear had taken
possession of her; that of being discovered here by him if he should
open the door; and the agitation produced by the struggle between her
rebellious pride and a desire to show her submission caused her to
grow hot and cold by turns, with sensations until now unknown to her.
For an instant her desire for reconciliation was so strong that she
was on the point of knocking. Then, as footsteps approached, she ran
precipitately away.

Until eight o'clock Clotilde was agitated by an ever-increasing
impatience. At every instant she looked at the clock on the
mantelpiece of her room; an Empire clock of gilded bronze,
representing Love leaning against a pillar, contemplating Time asleep.

Eight was the hour at which she generally descended to the dining-room
to breakfast with the doctor. And while waiting she made a careful
toilette, arranged her hair, and put on another morning gown of white
muslin with red spots. Then, having still a quarter of an hour on her
hands, she satisfied an old desire and sat down to sew a piece of
narrow lace, an imitation of Chantilly, on her working blouse, that
black blouse which she had begun to find too boyish, not feminine
enough. But on the stroke of eight she laid down her work, and went
downstairs quickly.

"You are going to breakfast entirely alone," said Martine tranquilly
to her, when she entered the dining-room.