to the hotel until very late.... And he therefore
retired to his room earlier than usual, believing with illogical
superstition that by so doing Freya might arrive earlier.

His first movement upon finding himself alone in his room, was one of
pride. He looked up at the ceiling, pitying the enamored sailor that a
week before had been dwelling on the floor above. Poor man! How they
must have made fun of him!... Ulysses admired himself as though he were
an entirely new personality, happy and triumphant, completely separated
from that other creature by dolorous periods of humiliations and
failures that he did not wish to recall.

The long, long hours in which he waited with such anxiety!... He
strolled about smoking, lighting one cigar with the remnant of the
preceding one. Then he opened the window, wishing to get rid of the
perfume of strong tobacco. She only liked Oriental cigarettes.... And
as the acrid odor of the strong, succulent Havana cigar persisted in
the room, he searched in his dressing-case and sprinkled around the
contents of various perfumed essences which he had long ago forgotten.

A sudden uneasiness disturbed his waiting. Perhaps she who was going to
come did not know which was his room. He was not sure that he had given
her the directions with sufficient clearness. It was possible that she
might make a mistake.... He began to believe that really she had made a
mistake.

Fear and impatience made him open his door, taking his stand in the
corridor in order to look down toward Freya's closed room. Every time
that footsteps sounded on the stairway or the grating of the elevator
creaked, the bearded sailor trembled with a childish uneasiness. He
wanted to hide himself and yet at the same time he wanted to look to
see if she was the one who was coming.

The guests occupying the same floor kept seeing him withdraw into his
room in the most inexplicable attitudes. Sometimes he would remain
firmly in the corridor as though, worn out with useless calling, he
were looking for the domestics; and at other times they surprised him
with his head poking out of the half-open door or hastily withdrawing
it. An old Italian count, passing by, gave him a smile of intelligence
and comradeship.... He was in the secret! The man was undoubtedly
waiting for one of the maids of the hotel.

He ended by settling himself in his room, but leaving his door ajar.
The rectangle of bright light that it marked on the floor and wal