Marius did not answer.
"Ah," she added, "you have a hole in your shirt-front, I must mend it for you."
Then she continued with an expression which gradually grew gloomier,—
"You do not seem pleased to see me?"
Marius held his tongue. She was also silent for a moment, and then exclaimed,—
"If I liked, I could compel you to look pleased."
"What do you mean?" Marius asked.
She bit her lip, and apparently hesitated, as if suffering from some internal struggle. At length she seemed to make up her mind.
"All the worse, but no matter, you look sad and I wish you to be pleased, only promise me, though, that you will laugh, for I want to see you laugh and hear you say, 'Ah! that is famous!' Poor Monsieur Marius! you know you promised you would give me all I wanted."
"Yes, but speak, can't you?"