had flushed to the roots of his hair. "I say that I have not a sou.
Do you understand? Not twenty sous, not ten, not enough to pay for a
glass of cassis in the cafe we may go into. You force me to confess what
I am ashamed of. It was, however, impossible for me to go out with you,
and when we were seated with refreshments in front of us to tell you
quietly that I could not pay for them."

She was still looking him in the face. "It is true, then?"

In a moment he had turned out all his pockets, those of his trousers,
coat, and waistcoat, and murmured: "There, are you satisfied now?"

Suddenly opening her arms, in an outburst of passion, she threw them
around his neck, crying: "Oh, my poor darling, my poor darling, if I had
only known. How did it happen?"

She made him sit down, and sat down herself on his knees; then, with her
arm round his neck, kissing him every moment on his moustache, his
mouth, his eyes, she obliged him to tell her how this misfortune had
come about.

He invented a touching story. He had been obliged to come to the
assistance of his father, who found himself in difficulties. He had not
only handed over to him all his savings, but had even incurred heavy
debts on his behalf. He added: "I shall be pinched to the last degree
for at least six months, for I have exhausted all my resources. So much
the worse; there are crises in every life. Money, after all, is not
worth troubling about."

She whispered: "I will lend you some; will you let me?"

He answered, with dignity: "You are very kind, pet; but do not think of
that, I beg of you. You would hurt my feelings."

She was silent, and then clasping him in her arms, murmured: "You will
never know how much I love you."

It was one of their most pleasant evenings.

As she was leaving, she remarked, smilingly: "How nice it is when one is
in your position to find money you had forgotten in your pocket--a coin
that had worked its way between the stuff and the lining."

He replied, in a tone of conviction: "Ah, yes, that it is."

She insisted on walking home, under the pretense that the moon was
beautiful and went into ecstasies over it. It was a cold, still night at
the beginning of winter. Pedestrians and horses went by quickly, spurred
by a sharp frost. Heels rang on the pavement. As she left him she said:
"Shall we meet again the day after to-morrow?"

"Certainly."

"At the same time?"

"The same time."

"Good-bye, dearest." And they kiss