"Au revoir, madame," he said.
He would have liked to say au revoir to Odile, but sobs prevented the words.
He gained the shadow of the corridor; they heard him hurrying away.
"What does it mean?" demanded Madame Bastian. "Xavier, you are hiding something from us."
The old Alsatian sobbed aloud; he threw precaution to the winds—she had guessed.
"Odile," she cried, "run and say good-bye to him."
Odile was already across the room; she caught Jean up at the corner.
"I beg of you to tell me why you are so miserable," she cried.
He turned, determined to be silent, to keep his vow. She was quite close to him; he opened his arms; she threw herself into them.
"Oh God," she cried, "you are leaving; I know it—you are going."