"It's finished."
"You will be happy as soon as you meet some one you really love with all the force of an ardent and devoted heart."
"Don't let's speak of these things. It hurts me."
"I obey you. I will be silent, but not before telling you that that heart is mine."
Rose looked at him with astonished eyes. She seemed not to understand. Leonor, very much moved, got up, walked towards her and said, in a whisper:
"Rose, I love you."
At these words, Rose started, and when Leonor tried to take her hand, she got up and ran away, crying:
"No, no, no, no."
"How stupid I've been," Leonor said to himself, when he was alone. "Does one declare one's love like this? Here am I on a level with the lowest heroes of novels. Think of declaring one's love, saying, 'I am hot,' to a woman who is cold. What does it mean to her? Words possess eloquence when the ears expect them. If not, they ring false. They only incline hearts which have already abdicated their will."
Leonor was very sincerely in love with Rose; hence he was very unhappy. He imagined, moreover, that M. Hervart was already completely pardoned. Rose was only awaiting some act of humility to give herself to him again.