"Since my good star has caused me to meet my inhuman fair, I should be very stupid to take her to my rival, that knave who nearly made me lose Roland; should I not rather seize the opportunity which offers to avenge myself and to triumph over a cruel enslaver? The little one does not know her way; instead of taking her to her rendezvous, I will take her to the Place aux Chats, and tell her that it is the Pont-aux-Choux! Then, by frightening her with tales of robbers, I will try to induce her to accept shelter in the Hôtel du Sanglier; and once there!--Sandioux! it's a daring plan, it has a suggestion of felony about it! But this girl is a demon, and I shall not vanquish her unless I resort to heroic means!" "Well, monsieur le chevalier, you have not yet answered me; are we still far from the Pont-aux-Choux?" "Why, yes, my sweet child, rather far. Oh! you had gone entirely astray, you were not going in the right direction." "That is strange; I followed the directions that were given me." "Some persons are so unkind! they take delight in making people go astray who ask them to point out their road.--Lean on me, tender blossom! Do not be afraid of wearying me; it is a joy to me to feel your round arm in mine. Ah! ye gods!" "It would be a great joy to me to arrive. I cannot understand this; it seems to me that you are making me retrace my steps." "As you were not going toward your destination, I must, of course, take you back. This is one of the most blissful evenings of my life!" "Do not press my arm so tightly, I beg you." "This loving pressure is a magnetic effect of the fire which consumes my heart, and which snaps devilishly so near to you!" "Are you going to begin again to talk to me of your love? I thought that you were cured." "Cured! I!--Better to die than to be cured! What would you have me talk about, sweet friend, when I am with you?" "Have you forgotten, pray, that I am only a servant, upon whom you conferred too much honor simply by looking at her?" "A man may say that when he is angry, my dear; but, in reality, he does not mean a word of it." "Oh!" cried Miretta, suddenly stopping at a street corner; "I am sure now that it is you who have lost your way! I recognize this street perfectly; it runs into the street I live on; you have brought me back to the quarter I came from." "Sandis! I am taking you where you want to go. Come, we shall soon be there." "No!" cried the girl, as she withdrew her arm from the chevalier's, refusing to go any farther; "no! I will not go with you, for it is not possible that the Pont-aux-Choux is in this direction." Passedix tried to take Miretta's arm again; she resisted, but the Gascon was excited, and he was determined not to let the girl escape him anew. Suddenly a new personage, whose approach neither of them had observed or heard, appeared on the scene and put an end to the contest by releasing Miretta from the chevalier's grasp.