"Draw up, Rodolphe," said Marcel to his friend, "we will all three have supper together." "No," said the poet remaining in his corner. "Are you angry, Rodolphe, that I have come here?" asked Mimi gently. "Where could I go to?" "No, Mimi," replied Rodolphe, "only I am grieved to see you like this." "It is my own fault, Rodolphe, I do not complain, what is done is done, so think no more about it than I do. Cannot you still be my friend, because you have been something else? You can, can you not? Well then, do not frown on me, and come and sit down at the table with us." She rose to take him by the hand, but was so weak, that she could not take a step, and sank back into her chair. "The heat has dazed me," she said, "I cannot stand." "Come," said Marcel to Rodolphe, "come and join us." The poet drew up to the table, and began to eat with them. Mimi was very lively. "My dear girl, it is impossible for us to get you a room in the house." "I must go away then," said she, trying to rise. "No, no," said Marcel. "I have another way of arranging things, you can stay in my room, and I will go and sleep with Rodolphe." "It will put you out very much, I am afraid," said Mimi, "but it will not be for long, only a couple of days." "It will not put us out at all in that case," replied Marcel, "so it is understood, you are at home here, and we are going to Rodolphe's room. Good night, Mimi, sleep well." "Thanks," said she, holding out her hand to Marcel and Rodolphe, who moved away together. "Do you want to lock yourself in?" asked Marcel as he got to the door. "Why?" said Mimi, looking at Rodolphe, "I am not afraid." When the two friends were alone in Rodolphe's room, which was on the same floor, Marcel abruptly said to his friend, "Well, what are you going to do now?" "I do not know," stammered Rodolphe. "Come, do not shilly-shally, go and join Mimi! If you do, I prophecy that tomorrow you will be living together again." "If it were Musette who had returned, what would you do?" inquired Rodolphe of his friend. "If it were Musette that was in the next room," replied Marcel, "well, frankly, I believe that I should not have been in this one for a quarter of an hour past." "Well," said Rodolphe, "I will be more courageous than you, I shall stay here." "We shall see that," said Marcel, who had already got into bed. "Are you coming to bed?" "Certainly," replied Rodolphe. But in the middle of the night, Marcel waking up, perceived that Rodolphe had left him. In the morning, he went and tapped discreetly at the door of the room in which Mimi was. "Come in," said she, and on seeing him, she made a sign to him to speak low in order not to wake Rodolphe who was asleep. He was seated in an arm chair, which he had drawn up to the side of the bed, his head resting on a pillow beside that of Mimi. "It is like that that you passed the night?" said Marcel in great astonishment. "Yes," replied the girl.