“My poor Laura,” said he; “come, come, be sensible.” “Oh, let me cry a little; it does me good.” “All the same we’ve got to consider what you are to do.” “What is there I _can_ do? Where can I go? To whom can I speak?” “Your parents....” “You know what they are. It would plunge them in despair. And they did everything they could to make me happy.” “Douviers?...” “I shall never dare face him again. He is so good. You mustn’t think I don’t love him.... If you only knew.... If you only knew.... Oh, say you don’t despise me too much.” “On the contrary, my dear; on the contrary. How can you imagine such a thing?” And he began patting her on the back again. “Yes; I don’t feel ashamed any more, when I am with you.” “How long have you been here?” “I can’t remember. I have only been living in the hopes that you would come. There were times when I thought I couldn’t bear it. I feel now as if I couldn’t stay here another day.” Her sobs redoubled and she almost screamed out, though in a choking voice: “Take me away! Take me away!” Edouard felt more and more uncomfortable. “Now Laura.... You must be calm. That ... that ... I don’t even know his name....” “Bernard,” murmured Laura. “Bernard will be back in a moment. Come now; pull yourself together. He mustn’t see you in this state. Courage! We’ll think of something, I promise you. Come, come! Dry your eyes. Crying does no good. Look at yourself in the glass. Your face is all swollen. You must bathe it. When I see you crying I can’t think of anything.... There! Here he is! I can hear him.” He went to the door and opened it to let in Bernard, while Laura, with her back turned at the dressing-table, set about restoring a semblance of calm to her features. “And now, sir, may I ask when I shall be allowed to get possession of my belongings again?” He looked Bernard full in the face as he spoke, with the same ironical smile on his lips as before. “As soon as you please, sir; but at the same time, I feel obliged to confess that I shall certainly feel the loss of your belongings a good deal more than you do. I am sure you would understand if you only knew my story. But I’ll just say this, that since this morning I am without a roof, without a family and with nothing better to do than throw myself into the river, if I hadn’t met you. I followed you this morning for a long time while you were talking to my friend Olivier. He has spoken to me about you such a lot! I should have liked to go up to you. I was casting about for some excuse to do so, by hook or by crook.... When you threw your luggage ticket away, I blessed my stars. Oh, don’t take me for a thief. If I lifted your suit-case, it was more than anything so as to get into touch with you.” Bernard brought all this out almost in a single breath. An extraordinary animation fired his words and features--as though they were aflame with kindness. Edouard, to judge by his smile, thought him charming. “And now...?” asked he.