"Ah! I suspected you, Violette, I accused you! I know that I was wrong; will you forgive me for thinking you guilty?" "Yes, I forgive you, for appearances were against me; and even now you have only my word for a proof of my innocence." "That is enough, and hereafter I want nothing else." "But I should like right well to force the man who slandered me to tell the truth." "Let us not talk of that now; I am so happy! I was dying of ennui away from you, dear Violette. If you knew how I love you!" "Mon Dieu! Georget, I realized that I loved you too, since your desertion caused me so much pain and unhappiness." "Dear Violette! what joy! you love me, you tell me so! there is no one on earth happier than I am." "And I am very happy too." "I am eighteen years old now, Violette, and I can marry you." "We have time enough, my dear, now that we are sure that we love each other; can we want anything more?" "We will be married, all the same; you will be my wife, won't you, Violette?" "What a question! when I refuse to be anybody else's!" "Ah! it is nice of you to say that!" "But it is growing dark; it is late, Georget; will you help me to close my booth and carry my flowers away? As I have been sick and am not very strong yet, I must not stay out late." "You are right, you mustn't endanger your health. Give me all the flowers, all the bunches you have left; I will carry them, and this tray and the chair." "Oh, no! I can carry something myself, Georget." "Give them all to me, I beg." "No, monsieur, for then I shall look as if I were lazy." The two young lovers soon had the booth closed. Then they walked toward Rue de Crussol, Georget never weary of gazing at Violette, and she always smiling at Georget. "So you have changed your lodging, have you?" "Yes, I live here now, right up at the top; but it is very pleasant; and then it is a very decent house. I have a little corner of the courtyard where I keep my flowers, near a pump; it is always cool there.--Good-night, Georget." "What! are we going to part already?" "You know very well that you can't come up to my room, Georget, you who are my sweetheart; that wouldn't be proper." "Oh! I have no idea of asking you to let me do that, Violette; but suppose, after you have put your flowers in the yard, you would take a little walk with me on the boulevard; we have been together such a short time." "All right, I will do it; but we mustn't walk long." "A few minutes, that's all." Violette went in to arrange her tray and her flowers; then she returned to Georget, passed her arm through his, and they walked away, talking together, looking at each other, pressing against each other, happier than the great ones of the earth, happier than the millionaires, happier than all those whom people envy; for true love and youth!--you would seek in vain to find anything superior to these.