Phil did not answer.
“Dear old Phil,” Poufaille insisted strongly, “you can’t deny it? We shouldn’t be friends otherwise, you know.”
“I alone must be judge of that,” Phil said.
“No!” Poufaille said; “that’s your new way of looking at things; but I tell you, there’s not a woman in the world above her—do you understand?—not one! I tell you—not one!”
Phil frowned.
“I’m not making any allusions,” said Poufaille.
“I should hope not,” said Phil.
“I am only telling you the truth,” Poufaille declared; “and I am glad to have said it. I can breathe better now. It’s true! It turned my blood to hear Suzanne telling it, with Helia so sad. When I think that you used to be so rigid about such things—and now you act just like the others! What’s the difference between you and Socrate? For a man who is always quoting the Bible and setting himself up as an example—you’re a bad one, that’s all!”
Phil turned pale.
“Poufaille is drunk,” he thought. “I’d best go away.”