"Oh, yes, of course, but--"
"But what, Miss d'Estrée?--No doubt you want to go yourself--I am sorry I thought of detaining you (with a gesture of dismissal). I beg you to excuse me, A sick man is apt to be unreasonable."
"Oh, as to that, you know entirely well I do not want to go. You are unreasonable, indeed, when you talk as you do now. I only went away for your benefit."
"Qui s'excuse, s'accuse."
"But I am not excusing myself; and if you put it so I will go away at once."
"Si vous voulez--"
"But I don't 'voulez'--Oh, how disagreeable you can be."
"You will stay?"
"Pauline!" called Sophie from across the hall.
"There!" I exclaimed, interpreting it as the voice of conscience. I left my work-basket and book upon the table, and went out of the room.