er room, she found Ge

he cried sharply, to cover her

e stammered, "to see if I

ng. I am going

her eyes wide. "You are not goi

no need. H

d then clumsily beat a retreat to the door. "I

re descending in turn. Her little room was too narrow; it choked her. S

a confidence which would lessen the tension of her thought

oyen Baraban

clamoring for you like a

his arm, "be serious and gentle for once.

e him," he s

s though the revelation h

do you a

m af

wh

ng him t

t under

tering, the longing to tend and own. Goursac, with a few questions, led her on. They were now in the Tuile

e maternal instinct. Listen to me! You fall in love when the need within you becomes too insistent. Any one of a hundred men can appeal to you. It is the moment and not the man. You knew the maternal instinct for the first time

een deep in the bright to and fro of the promenaders, but she saw only th

l make any difference. You will learn, as others have learned, on the steps of experience. Out o

arily. "But I wanted to talk

d calmly-"I

seri

is ser

ru

kno

editatively, but

le. "And to see you is good for the eyes. You are youth, and I have not

es

t, you do no

ow-sill, but contented herself with an inquiry as to his condition; nor could a

ging and still with the memory of the charm which the presence of the girl had brought to the bare walls. Time and time his eyes sought the empty floor where he had sur

from the moment she had taken his arm in the gardens of the Palais Royal with the mischievous "Barabant, you are a lucky fellow," with which she had opened their comradeship. But this easy, pleasurable interest had been fanned into a passionate flame at the st

t of her, while retaining in his deeper consciousness, as undebatable, that limit of commo

s; for in his simplicity he believed himself utterly unselfish in see

n more than one glimpse of her, as she departed toward the flower-market. Recovered from his exhaustion,

ess, and it was only after luncheon that, passing down the

leted basket, overrun with flowers, dangled from her arm, while in her fingers she was turning a cockade without purpose. Against the

abant a reason for her absence, and with this pleasing thought

she was unaware of his approach

asked, smiling at her confusion, "tha

, and simulating in

the Citoye

nd said, with a return of his exasper

ook he

you; I do not

u are playi

n shook

her wrist, repeat

play with you," Nico

have you a

er, but she said firml

m the Conciergerie, and leaning over the bank, contemplated the river scenes below, following the fortunes of the languid fishermen

Barabant asked, secure in his new confidence. He sough

bled a flower and scattered the petals on the wafting stir of the air before sh

erie for

oments when one

you were th

ed her eyebrows sl

plunged him into perplexities. So, abandoning

ng, or what? Surely you will not tell me that it is natura

e opportunity of a passing party of muscadins-the dandies of the d

rtunity to tell you of my gratitude. That is what vexes me. Voyons, Nicole, we had begun so well!" He leaned closer and said mi

r ear, in one breath daring, in another shy, a thousand and one of those vague, delightful half-co

tiny. From time to time she turned, and looking him full in the face, sought to read there the true value of his words. But al

ation runs away with you. You

he ardor of his emotion

do you k

had a moment of confusion, duri

gaining her composure,

de my qu

you I will not listen. Besides

d moodily, leaning against a tree, his gaze lost in the current. The moment Nicole was assured of his abstracti

eelings-opinions which she did not wish him to entertain. She had fled, but not by calculation. She had again avoided him,

unger, meeting adversity with a smile, expecting two or three attachments, not deep; delightful while last

ip. That she could retain him, or, in all probability, would care to retain him, beyond a certain term never oc

se longings, womanly, motherly necessities which she had never realized before and which she imperfectl

then was too big, too strange; it frightened her. She feared such a transforming, all-consuming love. To give herself utterly thus she felt, in her intuitions, would mean only disaster. So she fled from herself, trying to stifle that immense emotion to which she

e him too much. The

ple, she knew well what t