"You see very well that the gentleman is asleep," said he.
"That is why I want to wake him up," replied Colline, knocking again.
"He does not want to answer then," replied the porter, placing before Rodolphe's door a pair of patent leather boots and a pair of lady's boots that he had just cleaned.
"Wait a bit though," observed Colline, examining the masculine and feminine foot gear. "New patent leathers! I must have made a mistake; it cannot be here."
"Yes, by the way," said the porter, "whom do you want?"
"A woman's boots!" continued Colline, speaking to himself, and thinking of his friends austere manners, "Yes, certainly I must have made a mistake. This is not Rodolphe's room."
"I beg your pardon, sir, it is."
"You must be making a mistake, my good man."
"What do you mean?"
"Decidedly you must be making a mistake," said Colline, pointing to the patent leather boots. "What are those?"