at you think of me, madame, I have only to ask your pardon
for my indiscretion, and to take leave of you with the assurance that it
shall not occur again."

Thereupon I bowed and quitted the box. I had scarcely closed the door
when I heard a third peal of laughter. It would not have been well for
anybody who had elbowed me at that moment.

I returned to my seat. The signal for raising the curtain was given.
Ernest came back to his place beside me.

"What a way you behaved!" he said, as he sat down. "They will think you
are mad."

"What did Marguerite say after I had gone?"

"She laughed, and said she had never seen any one so funny. But don't
look upon it as a lost chance; only do not do these women the honour
of taking them seriously. They do not know what politeness and ceremony
are. It is as if you were to offer perfumes to dogs--they would think it
smelled bad, and go and roll in the gutter."

"After all, what does it matter to me?" I said, affecting to speak in a
nonchalant way. "I shall never see this woman again, and if I liked her
before meeting her, it is quite different now that I know her."

"Bah! I don't despair of seeing you one day at the back of her box,
and of bearing that you are ruining yourself for her. However, you are
right, she hasn't been well brought up; but she would be a charming
mistress to have."

Happily, the curtain rose and my friend was silent. I could not possibly
tell you what they were acting. All that I remember is that from time to
time I raised my eyes to the box I had quitted so abruptly, and that the
faces of fresh visitors succeeded one another all the time.

I was far from having given up thinking about Marguerite. Another
feeling had taken possession of me. It seemed to me that I had her
insult and my absurdity to wipe out; I said to myself that if I spent
every penny I had, I would win her and win my right to the place I had
abandoned so quickly.

Before the performance was over Marguerite and her friend left the box.
I rose from my seat.

"Are you going?" said Ernest.

"Yes."

"Why?"

At that moment he saw that the box was empty.

"Go, go," he said, "and good luck, or rather better luck."

I went out.

I heard the rustle of dresses, the sound of voices, on the staircase.
I stood aside, and, without being seen, saw the two women pass me,
accompanied by two young men. At the entrance to the theatre they were
met by a footman.

"Tell the coachman to wait