Thereupon she got up, and, taking the candle, put it on the mantel-piece
and looked at herself in the glass.

"How pale I am!" she said, as she fastened her dress and passed her
fingers over her loosened hair. "Come, let us go back to supper. Are you
coming?"

I sat still and did not move.

She saw how deeply I had been affected by the whole scene, and, coming
up to me, held out her hand, saying: "Come now, let us go."

I took her hand, raised it to my lips, and in spite of myself two tears
fell upon it.

"Why, what a child you are!" she said, sitting down by my side again.
"You are crying! What is the matter?"

"I must seem very silly to you, but I am frightfully troubled by what I
have just seen."

"You are very good! What would you have of me? I can not sleep. I must
amuse myself a little. And then, girls like me, what does it matter, one
more or less? The doctors tell me that the blood I spit up comes from my
throat; I pretend to believe them; it is all I can do for them."

"Listen, Marguerite," I said, unable to contain myself any longer; "I do
not know what influence you are going to have over my life, but at this
present moment there is no one, not even my sister, in whom I feel the
interest which I feel in you. It has been just the same ever since I saw
you. Well, for Heaven's sake, take care of yourself, and do not live as
you are living now."