"I have come to tell you some news which will amuse you.... Ha!... Ha! ... which will amuse you ... I am sure ... I ... I ... live with Juliette. ... Ha! ... Ha! ... with Juliette Roux ... Juliette, you know.... Ha! Ha!"
"Congratulations!" He uttered this word "congratulations" in a perfectly calm, indifferent voice.... Was it possible! No hiss, no anger, no jumping at me!... Just "Congratulations!...." As one might say: "how do you expect that to interest me?" And his back bent over the table remained motionless without straightening up, without stirring!... His pen did not slip from his hand; he continued to write! What I told him just now he had known long ago.... But to hear it out of my own mouth!... I was stupefied—and shall I confess it?—I was wounded by the fact that the matter did not seem to affect him at all!... Lirat rose and rubbing his hands:
"Well! what's new?" he asked.
I could not stand it any longer. I rushed toward him with tears in my eyes.
"Listen to me," I shouted sobbing. "Lirat, for God's sake, listen to me.... I did not act fairly toward you.... I know it ... and I ask your forgiveness.... I should have told you all.... But I did not have the courage to.... You frighten me.... And then ... you remember Juliette, the one you told me about, right here ... you remember ... she is the one who kept me from doing that.... Do you understand?"
"My dear Mintié," interrupted Lirat, "I did not want you to tell me anything. I am neither your father nor your confessor. Do what you please, that does not concern me in the least."
I became excited.
"You are not my father, that is true ... but you are my friend ... and I owe you all the confidence in the world.... Forgive me!... Yes, I live with Juliette, and I love her and she loves me!... Is it a crime to seek a little happiness?... Juliette is not the kind of a woman you thought she was ... she has been calumniated most odiously, Lirat.... She is kind and honest.... Oh, don't smile ... she is honest!... She has some childish ways about her that would touch even you, Lirat. You don't like her because you don't know her.... If you only knew how kind and considerate she is to me! Juliette wants me to work.... She ardently believes in me, in my ability to create.... Why it was she who sent me here to see you. I was ashamed and afraid.... Yes she made me do that! Have a little consideration for her, Lirat. Love her a little, I beg of you!"
Lirat became grave. He put his hand on my shoulder and, looking at me wistfully:
"My dear child!" he said to me in a trembling voice, "why do you tell me all that?"