venturesome. Was it not Danton who said: _Audacity, more audacity, and
always audacity_. If it was not Danton it was Mirabeau, but that does
not matter. But then, I have no audacity, and that is the difficulty.
Oh! If one only knew, if one could only read peoples' minds! I will bet
that every day one passes by magnificent opportunities without knowing
it, though a gesture would be enough to let me know that she did not ask
for anything better...."

Then he imagined to himself combinations which conducted him to triumph.
He pictured some chivalrous deed, or merely some slight service which he
rendered her, a lively, gallant conversation which ended in ... in what
do you think.

But he could find no opening; had no pretext, and he waited for some
fortunate circumstance, with his heart ravaged, and his mind
topsy-turvy. The night passed, and the pretty girl still slept, while
Morin was meditating his own fall. The day broke and soon the first ray
of sunlight appeared in the sky, a long, clear ray which shone on the
face of the sleeping girl, and woke her, so she sat up, looked at the
country, then at Morin and smiled. She smiled like a happy woman, with
an engaging and bright look, and Morin trembled. Certainly that smile
was intended for him, it was a discreet invitation, the signal which he
was waiting for. That smile meant to say: "How stupid, what a ninny,
what a dolt, what a donkey you are, to have sat there on your seat like
a post all night.

"Just look at me, am I not charming? And you have sat like that for the
whole night, when you have been alone with a pretty woman, you great
simpleton!"