s head to hide
them from me. I pretended not to see them, and tried to change the
conversation. "You have been away three weeks," I said.

Armand passed his hand across his eyes and replied, "Exactly three
weeks."

"You had a long journey."

"Oh, I was not travelling all the time. I was ill for a fortnight or I
should have returned long ago; but I had scarcely got there when I took
this fever, and I was obliged to keep my room."

"And you started to come back before you were really well?"

"If I had remained in the place for another week, I should have died
there."

"Well, now you are back again, you must take care of yourself; your
friends will come and look after you; myself, first of all, if you will
allow me."

"I shall get up in a couple of hours."

"It would be very unwise."

"I must."

"What have you to do in such a great hurry?"

"I must go to the inspector of police."

"Why do you not get one of your friends to see after the matter? It is
likely to make you worse than you are now."

"It is my only chance of getting better. I must see her. Ever since I
heard of her death, especially since I saw her grave, I have not been
able to sleep. I can not realize that this woman, so young and so
beautiful when I left her, is really dead. I must convince myself of it.
I must see what God has done with a being that I have loved so much,
and perhaps the horror of the sight will cure me of my despair. Will you
accompany me, if it won't be troubling you too much?"

"What did her sister say about it?"

"Nothing. She seemed greatly surprised that a stranger wanted to buy
a plot of ground and give Marguerite a new grave, and she immediately
signed the authorization that I asked her for."

"Believe me, it would be better to wait until you are quite well."

"Have no fear; I shall be quite composed. Besides, I should simply go
out of my mind if I were not to carry out a resolution which I have set
myself to carry out. I swear to you that I shall never be myself again
until I have seen Marguerite. It is perhaps the thirst of the fever,
a sleepless night's dream, a moment's delirium; but though I were to
become a Trappist, like M. de Rance', after having seen, I will see."

"I understand," I said to Armand, "and I am at your service. Have you
seen Julie Duprat?"

"Yes, I saw her the day I returned, for the first time."

"Did she give you the papers that Marguerite had left for you?"

Armand drew a roll of p