She woke, a mixture of courage and philosophy.
"I can stand anything, and beyond a certain limit misfortune makes me laugh. But there's no reason why I should stand this!" The key and padlock idea was rejected as a compromise with happiness.
"No, no, let us see if we can get something better to lock up than that bird." He looked uncommonly dead by daylight.
"I would rather lock up an empty room, and leave it pure when I must leave it!"
Dressing, she went quickly down the street to the Bureau de la Place. The clerks and secretaries nodded and smiled at each other, and bent their heads over their typewriters when she looked at them.
"Can I see the billeting lieutenant?"
"He is not here."
"I saw him enter."
"We will go and see…."
She drummed upon the table with her fingers and the clerks and secretaries winked and nodded more meaningly than ever.