What are you doing here? Reply at once. Is it money you want? What price
do you put on your pity?"
I arose and tried to go out, but my feet refused to support me. At the
same time my eyes failed me, a mortal weakness took possession of me and
I fell over a chair.
"You are not well," she said, taking me by the arm, "you have drunk, like
the child that you are, without knowing what you were doing. Sit down in
this chair and wait until a cab passes. You will tell me where you live
and I will order the driver to take you home to your mother, since," she
added, "you really find me ugly."
As she spoke I raised my eyes. Perhaps my drunkenness deceived me, or
perhaps I had not seen her face clearly before, but suddenly I detected
in that unfortunate a fatal resemblance to my mistress. I shuddered at
the sight. There is a certain shudder that affects the hair; some say it
is death passing over the head, but it was not death that passed over
mine.
It was the malady of the age, or rather that girl was it herself; and it
was she who, with her pale, half-mocking features, came and seated
herself before me near the door of the tavern.
CHAPTER X
THE instant I noticed her resemblance to my mistress a frightful idea
occurred to me; it took irresistible possession of my muddled mind and I
put it into execution at once.
I took that girl home with me, I arranged my room just as I was
accustomed to do when my mistress was with me.
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