"Well, let them crawl like children until they learn how to walk by themselves. But whether they go on two legs or on all fours, the first thing, the only thing you can ask is that they should walk somehow."
He was prowling round and round and up and down the room, though less than four strides took him across it. He stopped in front of the piano, opened it, turned over the pages of some music, touched the keys, and said:
"Play me something."
Olivier started.
"I!" he said. "What an idea!"
"Madame Roussin told me you were a good musician. Come: play me something."
"With you listening? Oh!" he said, "I should die."
The sincerity and simplicity with which he spoke made Christophe laugh:
Olivier, too, though rather bashfully.
"Well," said Christophe, "is that a reason for a Frenchman?"
Olivier still drew back.