She looked at me closely as though astonished to see me
in such a place, for I was elegantly attired. Little by little she
approached my table, and seeing that all the bottles were empty, smiled.
I saw that she had fine teeth of brilliant whiteness; I took her hand and
begged her to be seated; she consented with good grace and asked what we
should have for supper.
I looked at her without saying a word, while my eyes began to fill with
tears; she observed my emotion and inquired the cause. I could not reply.
She understood that I had some secret sorrow and forebore any attempt to
learn the cause; drawing her handkerchief she dried my tears from time to
time as we dined.
There was something about that girl that was at once repulsive and sweet,
a singular impudence mingled with pity, that I could not understand. If
she had taken my hand in the street she would have inspired a feeling of
horror in me, but it seemed so strange that a creature I had never seen
should come to me, and without a word, proceed to order supper and dry my
tears with her handkerchief that I was rendered speechless, revolted and
yet charmed. What I had done had been done so quickly that I seemed to
have obeyed some impulse of despair. Perhaps I was a fool or the victim
of some supernal caprice.
"Who are you?" I suddenly cried out; "what do you want of me? How do you
know who I am? Who told you to dry my tears? Is this your vocation and do
you think I desire you? I would not touch you with the tip of my finger.
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