"I had a daughter here," he continued. "Did I not? Or was it a son? Ma foi! It were difficult—ah, yes! I remember now! A daughter. A little, red, hairless, dirty thing she was. I have a great curiosity— the blood of three kings, you know; surely that would overcome the blood of the good God knows how many peasant swine. She is not red, and hairless, and dirty now, in faith! She is clean-limbed, and straight, and white. A thousand louis to a sou, that she is!" … His brow was creased in the travail or retrospection.
"I gave her a name, did I not?" he asked. "It seems to me—ah, yes. Rien, it was. A very pretty name—yes, an excellent name—meaning much and little—everything, and yet nothing." He laughed at his own conceit, softly. "Tell me, where is she now? It might be that she is dead, eh?" He eyed the old woman, closely; then he shook his head. "No," he went on, "she is not dead. She—"
He had seen nothing, that is certain. Yet, suddenly he ceased in his speech; the smile left his lips; and slowly, very slowly, he turned.
She was standing there, behind him, her eyes upon him…. She was straight, and slender, and perfectly formed. A single garment covered her, running across one shoulder, reaching to her knees. It left one breast exposed, and the white, slender legs and perfect feet. She stood in a posture of infinite grace—of infinite poise. She looked at him.
Then it was that the shrivelled old woman spoke. She said to the girl:
"Votre pere."
And that was all.
The child looked at the man; the man looked at the child; and so for a long, long time they stood eye upon eye…. At length she began to smile a little, with her lips. But he did not smile….
After a long, long time, she took a slow, sinuous step toward him—then another…. He stepped back, still looking at her, his eyes still on hers…. He was back to the great cliff—the sheer cliff at the base of which the huge seas ever beat in sullen, unceasing impotence…. Yet, another step she took, toward him….
His breath came chokingly, gaspingly. Yet another step he took, away from her…. Yet another…. And then….