“No, monsieur, I feel much better; but—this is very strange—I don’t know whether it is the result of my fright, but I seem to have no legs, they give way under me; I feel as if I were going to fall.”
“Well! that would be nice!” cried Agathe, doing her utmost to support her companion. “What are we to do if you can’t walk? There are no cabs or omnibuses here, and we are quite a long way from home.”
Ami’s master, who, after offering his flask, had started to walk away, stopped when he discovered the embarrassment of the two friends. He realized that they still needed him, but it was evident that he hesitated, that it was hard for him not to be guided by his ordinary instinct of aloofness. But Agathe, without speaking, looked at him with an almost imploring expression, and her eyes expressed her thought so fully that Paul walked back toward them, murmuring:
“If I can be of any further use to you—take my arm, madame; lean on it without fear, and I will help you to walk.”
“Oh! you are too kind, monsieur! I am afraid of abusing——”
“No, no, take monsieur’s arm, since he is kind enough to offer it,” cried Agathe; “for if you had only mine to support you, we might both fall by the way; it is a long way from here to Chelles.”
Honorine decided to put her arm through the arm which their new acquaintance offered her. Agathe supported her friend on the other side, and they started.
“Where were you ladies going when the cow frightened you?”
“We will return to Chelles, monsieur, if you please. When we came out this morning, we had no definite destination; we just set out for a walk.—That is to say,” continued Agathe, “we came this way in order to see the estate of the Tower, of which we have heard a great deal since we came to Chelles.”
Honorine nudged her friend, to bid her keep silent, but Agathe paid no heed.