One evening in the month of March, Jacques having taken the risk of going up to see her, related that he had brought one of his old schoolfellows in his train from Paris, who was leaving for New York, to bring out a new invention, a machine for making buttons; and, as he wanted an engineer as partner, he had offered to take the driver with him. Oh! it was a magnificent enterprise, only requiring the investment of 30,000 frcs., a matter of £1,200, and in which there were perhaps millions to be made. Jacques merely mentioned the subject casually, and concluded by saying that he had of course refused the offer. Nevertheless, he felt a bit sorry, for it is hard to turn the back on fortune when it comes to one. Séverine, on her feet, listened to him with vacant eyes. Was not this her dream which was going to be realised? "Ah!" murmured she at last, "we would start to-morrow----" He raised his head in surprise, and interrupted her with the inquiry: "What do you mean by we would start?" "Yes, if he were dead," she replied. She had not named Roubaud, but he understood, and gave a vague gesture to say that, unfortunately, he was not dead. "We would set out," she resumed in her slow, deep voice, "and we should be so happy over there! I could get the 30,000 frcs. by selling the property, and I should still have enough to enable us to settle down. You could turn the cash to account; I would arrange a little home, where we would love one another with all our might. Oh! it would be so nice, so nice!" And she added, very low: "Far from all recollection of the past, and only new times ahead of us!" He felt deeply affected. Their two hands joined, and pressed one another instinctively. Then came a pause, both Séverine and Jacques being rapt in this hope. It was she who broke the silence. "All the same, it would be best for you to see your friend again before his departure, and ask him not to take a partner without letting you know," she suggested. Once more he was surprised. "What is the use of that?" he inquired. "Good heavens! Who knows?" she answered. "The other day, with that locomotive! Another second and I was free. One is alive in the morning, and dead at night. Is it not true?" Looking at him fixedly, she repeated: "Ah! if he were only dead!" "But you don't want me to kill him, do you?" he inquired, trying to smile.