back to you. I want to succeed, and so drive away your heavy
thoughts."

"Then," said Sardou quickly, to relieve them all of the emotion they
were feeling, "it is quite agreed." Turning to Madame Darbois, who was
trembling, "Do not be alarmed, dear Madame; we still have six or eight
months before the plan will be ready for realization, which I feel
sure will be satisfactory to all of us. I see that you are ready to go
out; are you returning to the Conservatoire?"

"Yes," said Esperance, "I promised to give '_Junia's_' cues to M.
Jean Perliez."

"The son of another learned man! The Conservatoire is favoured to-day,"
said Sardou. "I shall be pleased to escort you, Madame," he added,
bowing politely to Madame Darbois, "and this child shall unfold to me
on the way her ideas on the drama: they must be well worth hearing."

It was already late. The two gentlemen shook hands, anticipating that,
henceforth, they would meet as friends.

When they had left him, Francois looked at the pastel, which he had
not examined for a long time. The young girl smiled at him with that
smile that had first charmed him. He saw himself asking M. de Gossec,
a rich merchant, for the hand of his daughter Germaine. He brushed his
hand across his forehead as if to remove the memory of the refusal he
had received on that occasion: then he smiled at the new vision which
rose before his imagination. He saw himself in the church of St.
Germain des Pres, kneeling beside Germaine de Gossec, trembling with
emotion and happiness. A cloud of sadness passed over his face: now he