Rosa hastened to his side: she was frightened: she held his head and wept.
As soon as he could speak he said;
"It is not true!"
He knew that it was true. But he wanted to deny it, he wanted to pretend that it could not be. When he saw Rosa's face wet with tears he could doubt no more and he sobbed aloud.
Rosa raised her head:
"Christophe!" she said.
He hid his face in his hands. She leaned towards him.
"Christophe!… Mamma is coming!…"
Christophe got up.
"No, no," he said. "She must not see me."