He decided that nothing was more simple, and that the only serious difficulty was to get out of the house without being heard.  He still felt a few scruples; he poured himself out a glass of brandy.

—­Let me swallow some courage, he said.  What a singular piece of machinery is man, who imbibes in a few drops of liquid the dose of bravery which he lacks, and spirit which he needs.

And, in fact, he soon felt a generous warmth which ascended to his head; and his heart became anew surrounded little by little with that triple breast plate of brass, robur triplex, without which there is no hero.

He listened inside and out.  All sounds were hushed; in the parsonage as in the village, everybody was asleep.  He heard only the croaking of a legion of frogs which were sporting in the neighbouring marsh, and, far away, the bark of some farm-dog.

The night was splendid.  The moon was rising behind the woods.  That was a serious obstacle; but are there any serious obstacles for a man over-excited by drink?  He did not even think of it; his mind was cheerful and content.  If anyone encountered him in the night, wandering along the roads, what could they say?  Had he not a perfect right like anybody else to take, the fresh air of evening?  And, besides, might he not have been summoned by a sick person?

On the other hand, no more favourable moment would ever present itself for talking with Suzanne.  His uncle was snoring in the next room, and his servant, supposing she was still awake, would she dare, while there was a guest at the parsonage, to come and assure herself if he was in his bed?

He took off his shoes, opened the door noiselessly and glided into the street.

He rapidly went round the parsonage, and he put on his shoes again only when he was at some distance, under the discreet shade of the limes.

Then he walked boldly on, keeping to the middle of the road, on the side, however, where the houses cast their shadow, and advanced with the step of a man who is going to accomplish a duty.

He arrived without any hindrance at the Captain’s house.  It was fully lighted up by the pale moon-light, and all the shutters were closed.  Consequently, the side looking upon the garden was in the shadow, and there was Suzanne’s room, the room hung with rose.

So he pursued his way at a rapid pace, entered the little path, bordered with hawthorn, and soon reached the clump of old chestnut-trees.

LXVIII.

THE ROSE CHAMBER.

“They are women already, they were so when they were born, but one guesses them so still, one reads it in their little thought, one comes across an end of thread here and there, which is like a revelation ...  They are ...  But forgive me, young ladies, I am afraid of going too far.”

  G. DROZ (Entre nous).