"Especially when you have imagined for some time that you possessed that person's heart; when you have flattered yourself with the prospect of passing your life with her! To see that woman again, when she belongs to another, is the most frightful torture. Fanny smiled at me, she asked me to call on her. But I would have preferred a cold, harsh greeting a hundred times over; I would have liked her to avoid my presence as I meant to avoid hers; for then I would have thought: 'I am not utterly indifferent to her.'--However, that won't happen again, for I am going away, and I have come to say good-bye." "You are going away again! Mon Dieu! you have only just returned!" "Ah! I should have done better not to return so soon. Living in Paris weighs on me, it recalls the past too vividly." "And where are you going now?" "To Germany, Austria--as far away as possible!" "For a long time?" "Oh! yes, for I don't propose to return until I am thoroughly cured of my unhappy passion." Adolphine put her handkerchief to her eyes. "But it's not our fault," she stammered,--"if my sister doesn't love you--and yet, because she doesn't, we--must lose a friend." "Dear Adolphine, such woe-begone friends as I am are hardly worth regretting." "Do you think so? But suppose I like them so?" "When I return, I shall probably find you married, too." "No, no! I shall not be married, I--I am sure of it." "What do you know about it? There are certain to be plenty of aspirants to your hand." "I refused two, not long ago. They were both rich, but I am not like my sister; I want to love my husband!" "Do you think, pray, that Fanny doesn't love hers?" "Mon Dieu! I know nothing about it. I don't know what I am saying; I am so disappointed!" At that moment, the door opened. Monsieur Gerbault appeared, with Monsieur Batonnin, who entered first. "Pray excuse me, mademoiselle," he began; "I come to engage you for the first contra-dance that----" The soft-spoken gentleman stopped abruptly, seeing a young man seated beside Adolphine; he rolled his eyes in the direction of the father, adding: "Ah! mademoiselle has a visitor; we disturb her." Monsieur Gerbault was no less surprised than he at finding a man in his daughter's room, and her with her eyes full of tears. But he soon recognized Gustave, who bowed respectfully to him and said: "Forgive me, monsieur, for presuming to call upon your daughter; but I came to bid her good-bye, and I hoped to have the honor of paying my respects to you as well before leaving the house." "Ah! is it you, Monsieur Gustave? I thought that you were in Spain?" "I returned a week ago, monsieur; and to-night I start for Germany." "Why, what's the matter, Adolphine? you look as if you had been crying. But I cannot conceive what reason you can have to be unhappy." Monsieur Batonnin thought it advisable to intervene.