“Why, no, monsieur; it is little more than nine o’clock, I think; and if you find me alone—which I very rarely am—it is because Agathe felt tired and sleepy. As for Monsieur Edmond, he is at a party, which fact accounts in some measure for Agathe’s headache.—Now, monsieur, consider whether you have the courage to remain with one poor woman—who has nothing but her conversation to offer you.”
Paul took a chair and seated himself at some distance from Honorine. On learning that he was to be alone with her, he seemed embarrassed. Luckily, Ami was there to enliven the interview; Honorine continued to caress him and said to him:
“How glad you seem to see me, Ami! But if it gives you so much pleasure to be with me, why don’t you come oftener? You don’t need to wait until it happens to occur to your master to come. If he doesn’t enjoy himself here, he is right not to come; but you know the way, and I don’t think that he objects to your coming here to show us that you haven’t forgotten us.”
“Surely you cannot think, madame, that I do not enjoy myself in your house; only in your pleasant company have I found at last some distraction from the sorrows which have made me shun society for many years.”
“If that is so, how does it happen that we have not seen you for several days? You had accustomed us to your company of late; we made up our minds—too soon—that it would continue. There are habits which give one so much pleasure!”
Honorine’s voice began to quiver, and she abruptly ceased speaking, in order to conceal the emotion she felt.
But Paul had drawn his chair nearer to hers; he gazed at the young woman with an expression which was not calculated to calm her agitation, and replied:
“I went to Paris several days ago. I had received some information which led me to believe that I had found the traces of a person whom I have sought in vain for nine years! But the information was misleading; my investigations were of no avail, and I have learned nothing.”
“I shall be very presumptuous, I fear, if I ask you who this person is whom you have been seeking so long.”
“It is a young girl; she must be about sixteen years old now.”