"All the same," said he to Juliet, "we can go through the episode of the balcony. Here is a bird that will arouse us tomorrow with his melodious notes, and warn us of the exact moment when we are to part from one another in despair."
And Rodolphe hung up the cage beside the fireplace.
The next day at five in the morning the pigeon was exact to time, and filled the room with a prolonged cooing that would have awakened the two lovers—if they had gone to sleep.
"Well," said Juliet, "this is the moment to go into the balcony and bid one another despairing farewells—what do you think of it?"
"The pigeon is too fast," said Rodolphe. "It is November, and the sun does not rise till noon."
"All the same," said Juliet, "I am going to get up."
"Why?"
"I feel quite empty, and I will not hide from you the fact that I could very well eat a mouthfull."
"The agreement that prevails in our sympathies is astonishing. I am awfully hungry too," said Rodolphe, also rising and hurriedly slipping on his clothes.
Juliet had already lit a fire, and was looking in her sideboard to see whether she could find anything. Rodolphe helped her in this search.