He betook himself to his little neighbor's apartment, crossing the courtyard as rapidly as possible to avoid the glances of the other tenants. This time the door was unlocked. Monsieur de Mardeille unceremoniously entered Georgette's room and found her already at work. She looked up at him with a sly smile, and said:
"Good-morning, monsieur! it's very good of you to come to see me. Pray sit down, and we will talk about the play."
But Monsieur de Mardeille did not sit down; he paced the floor excitedly, and rejoined in an angry tone:
"I didn't come here to talk about the play, mademoiselle!"
"Indeed? Very well, then we'll talk about something else."
"Mademoiselle—you sleep very soundly!"
"I? Oh! you are mistaken, monsieur; on the contrary, my sleep is very light; the slightest noise wakes me."
"The slightest noise? How did it happen, then, that you didn't hear the noise I made last night, when I knocked on your door for half an hour, and you did not deign to reply?"
"Last night? Why, I heard you distinctly, monsieur; much too distinctly, in fact!"
"Then, mademoiselle, why didn't you let me in?"