"How pale I am!" she said, as she fastened her dress and passed
her fingers over her loosened hair. "Come, let us go back to
supper. Are you coming?"

I sat still and did not move.

She saw how deeply I had been affected by the whole scene, and,
coming up to me, held out her hand, saying:

"Come now, let us go."

I took her hand, raised it to my lips, and in spite of myself two
tears fell upon it.

"Why, what a child you are!" she said, sitting down by my side
again. "You are crying! What is the matter?"

"I must seem very silly to you, but I am frightfully troubled by
what I have just seen."

"You are very good! What would you have of me? I can not sleep. I
must amuse myself a little. And then, girls like me, what does it
matter, one more or less? The doctors tell me that the blood I
spit up comes from my throat; I pretend to believe them; it is
all I can do for them."

"Listen, Marguerite," I said, unable to contain myself any
longer; "I do not know what influence you are going to have over
my life, but at this present moment there is no one, not even my