"Come now! it cost you a lot to acknowledge that.... Let us shake hands."
"Ah!" said M. Deviolaine, "if only your poor father could have been there!"
"My mother could have been there if people had not made her so unhappy."
"Come, come! you are not going to tell me that it is my fault your mother is in bed, are you? Good gracious me! it tormented me sufficiently during your representation. I could not think of anything else; I believe it was that which gave me the beastly colic.... By the bye, what are they saying in the office?"
I showed him M. de Broval's letter. He read it through twice over.
"Well, I never!..." he said, as he handed it me back, shrugging his shoulders. "Shall you return to the office?"
"I? Dear me no!"
"Well, I think you are right. Shall you go and see M. Fossier?".
"No, indeed."
"He likes you, nevertheless."