"If it were Musette that was in the next room," replied Marcel, "well, frankly, I believe that I should not have been in this one for a quarter of an hour past."
"Well," said Rodolphe, "I will be more courageous than you, I shall stay here."
"We shall see that," said Marcel, who had already got into bed. "Are you coming to bed?"
"Certainly," replied Rodolphe.
But in the middle of the night, Marcel waking up, perceived that Rodolphe had left him.
In the morning, he went and tapped discreetly at the door of the room in which Mimi was.
"Come in," said she, and on seeing him, she made a sign to him to speak low in order not to wake Rodolphe who was asleep. He was seated in an arm chair, which he had drawn up to the side of the bed, his head resting on a pillow beside that of Mimi.
"It is like that that you passed the night?" said Marcel in great astonishment.
"Yes," replied the girl.
Rodolphe woke up all at once, and after kissing Mimi, held out his hand to Marcel, who seemed greatly puzzled.