"Celestine! My dear little Celestine. Let me go in and wait for her. I'll give you a lot of money."
"Madame is not in!"
"Celestine, I beg of you! Go and tell Madame that I am here, that I am all right now ... that I am very sick ... that I am going to die! And you shall have a hundred francs, Celestine ... two hundred francs!"
Celestine looked at me slyly, with a mocking air, happy to see me suffer, happy above all to see a man reduced to her own level, begging servilely to her.
"For just one minute, Celestine. I'll just look at her and go away!"
"No, no, Monsieur! She'll scold me!"
The ringing of a bell was heard. I heard the noise of it quicken.
"You see, Monsieur, she is calling me!"
"Well, now! Celestine, tell her that if she does not come to my house by six o'clock, if she does not write to me by six o'clock ... tell her that I am going to kill myself! Six o'clock, Celestine! Don't forget now ... tell her that I am going to kill myself!"
"All right, Monsieur!"