"'Hélas! il a fui comme une ombre!'
And to give more expression to her song, more passion to her voice, she often holds the skimmer lovingly to her heart. But as she sings, her eyes happen to fall on her canary's cage; she hastens thither, for she remembers that she hasn't given the bird anything to eat for two days. But as she is on the point of opening the cage, it occurs to her that she would do well to think about her own breakfast; so she turns her back on the canary, to go and visit the pantry. What she finds there does not suit her; so she goes down to the fruit stall to buy some fresh eggs. But on the way, she changes her mind; she prefers preserves, so she goes into the grocer's, where she meets a young woman who has been her schoolmate. They chat, and sometimes the chance meeting carries them a long way.
"'Come with me a minute,' says her friend; 'I live close by, and I'll show you a dress my fiancé sent me from Lyon.'
"'Oh! so you've got a fiancé, have you? are you going to be married?'
"'Yes, in two months.'
"'That's funny.'
"'Why is it funny?'
"'Because they don't ever think about marrying me.'
"'You're too young.'
"'I'm only a year younger'n you. But my folks would rather keep me at home to do the housework.'