‘The deuce, if you go about everything in that way!’ said he.

He found her taller and handsomer than he had fancied.  But what struck him most was her look of quiet decision.  She was evidently no longer afraid of him.  It seemed as though she had re-donned her armour and become an amazon again.  She smiled and looked him straight in the face.  Whereupon he said what he was still reluctant to say: 

‘You’ll breakfast with me, won’t you?’

But she refused the offer.  ’No, thank you.  I am going to the station, where my trunk must have arrived by now, and then I shall drive to Passy.’

It was in vain that he told her that she must be hungry, that it was unreasonable for her to go out without eating something.

‘Well, if you won’t, I’ll go down and fetch you a cab,’ he ended by exclaiming.

‘Pray don’t take such trouble.’

’But you can’t go such a distance on foot.  Let me at least take you to the cabstand, as you don’t know Paris.’

’No, really I do not need you.  If you wish to oblige me, let me go away by myself.’

She had evidently made up her mind.  She no doubt shrank from the idea of being seen with a man, even by strangers.  She meant to remain silent about that strange night, she meant to tell some falsehood, and keep the recollection of her adventure entirely to herself.  He made a furious gesture, which was tantamount to sending her to the devil.  Good riddance; it suited him better not to have to go down.  But, all the same, he felt hurt at heart, and considered that she was ungrateful.

‘As you please, then.  I sha’n’t resort to force,’ he said.

At these words, Christine’s vague smile became more accentuated.  She did not reply, but took her bonnet and looked round in search of a glass.  Failing to find one, she tied the strings as best she could.  With her arms uplifted, she leisurely arranged and smoothed the ribbons, her face turned towards the golden rays of the sun.  Somewhat surprised, Claude looked in vain for the traits of childish softness that he had just portrayed; the upper part of her face, her clear forehead, her gentle eyes had become less conspicuous; and now the lower part stood out, with its somewhat sensual jaw, ruddy mouth, and superb teeth.  And still she smiled with that enigmatical, girlish smile, which was, perhaps, an ironical one.

‘At any rate,’ he said, in a vexed tone, ’I do not think you have anything to reproach me with.’

At which she could not help laughing, with a slight, nervous laugh.

‘No, no, monsieur, not in the least.’

He continued staring at her, fighting the battle of inexperience and bashfulness over again, and fearing that he had been ridiculous.  Now that she no longer trembled before him, had she become contemptuously surprised at having trembled at all?  What! he had not made the slightest attempt at courtship, not even pressed a kiss on her finger-tips.  The young fellow’s bearish indifference, of which she had assuredly been conscious, must have hurt her budding womanly feelings.