She laughed and said to him: "I am
intoxicated, my friend, I am quite intoxicated." He looked at her, his
heart going patty-patty. He felt himself grow pale, fearful that he had
not looked too boldly at her, and that the trembling of his hand had not
revealed his passion.

She had decked her head with wild flowers and water-lilies, and she had
asked him: "Do you not like to see me appear thus?"

As he did not answer--for he could find nothing to say, he should rather
have gone down on his knees--she burst out laughing, a sort of
discontented laughter, which she threw straight in his face, saying:
"Great goose, what ails you? You might at least speak!"

He felt like crying, and could not even yet find a word to say.

All these things came back to him now, as vividly as on the day when they
took place. Why had she said this to him, "Great goose. What ails you!
You might at least speak!"

And he recalled how tenderly she had leaned on his arm. And in passing
under a shady tree he had felt her ear leaning against his cheek, and he
had tilted his head abruptly, for fear that she had not meant to bring
their flesh into contact.

When he had said to her: "Is it not time to return?" she darted at him a
singular look. "Certainly," she said, "certainly," regarding him at the
same time in a curious manner. He had not thought of anything then; and
now the whole thing appeared to him quite plain.

"Just as you like, my friend. If you are tired let us go back."

And he had answered: "It is not that I am fatigued; but Saudres has
perhaps woke up now."

And she had said: "If you are afraid of my husband's being awake, that is
another thing. Let us return."

In returning she remained silent and leaned no longer on his arm. Why?

At that time it had never occurred to him to ask himself "why." Now he
seemed to apprehend something that he had not then understood.

What was it?

M. Savel felt himself blush, and he got up at a bound, feeling thirty
years younger, believing that he now understood Madame Saudres then to
say, "I love you."

Was it possible! That suspicion which had just entered his soul, tortured
him. Was it possible that he could not have seen, not have dreamed!

Oh! if that could be true, if he had rubbed against such good fortune
without laying hold of it!

He said to himself: "I wish to know. I cannot remain in this state of
doubt. I wish to know!" He put on his clothes quickly, dressed in hot
haste. He