After lunch, Sandres went to sleep on the broad of his back.  “The best nap he had in his life,” said he, when he woke up.

Madame Sandres had taken the arm of Saval, and they started to walk along the river bank.

She leaned tenderly on his arm.  She laughed and said to him:  “I am intoxicated, my friend, I am quite intoxicated.”  He looked at her, his heart going pit-a-pat.  He felt himself grow pale, fearful that he might have looked too boldly at her, and that the trembling of his hand had revealed his passion.

She had made a wreath of wild flowers and water-lilies, and she asked him:  “Do I look pretty like that?”

As he did not answer—­for he could find nothing to say, he would have liked to go down on his knees—­she burst out laughing, a sort of annoyed, displeased laugh, as she said:  “Great goose, what ails you?  You might at least say something.”

He felt like crying, but could not even yet find a word to say.

All these things came back to him now, as vividly as on the day when they took place.  Why had she said this to him, “Great goose, what ails you?  You might at least say something!”

And he recalled how tenderly she had leaned on his arm.  And in passing under a shady tree he had felt her ear brushing his cheek, and he had moved his head abruptly, lest she should suppose he was too familiar.

When he had said to her:  “Is it not time to return?” she darted a singular look at him.  “Certainly,” she said, “certainly,” regarding him at the same time in a curious manner.  He had not thought of it at the time, but now the whole thing appeared to him quite plain.

“Just as you like, my friend.  If you are tired let us go back.”

And he had answered:  “I am not fatigued; but Sandres may be awake now.”

And she had said:  “If you are afraid of my husband’s being awake, that is another thing.  Let us return.”

On their way back she remained silent, and leaned no longer on his arm.  Why?

At that time it had never occurred to him, to ask himself “why.”  Now he seemed to apprehend something that he had not then understood.

Could it?

M. Saval felt himself blush, and he got up at a bound, as if he were thirty years younger and had heard Madame Sandres say, “I love you.”

Was it possible?  That idea which had just entered his mind tortured him.  Was it possible that he had not seen, had not guessed?

Oh! if that were true, if he had let this opportunity of happiness pass without taking advantage of it!

He said to himself:  “I must know.  I cannot remain in this state of doubt.  I must know!” He thought:  “I am sixty-two years of age, she is fifty-eight; I may ask her that now without giving offense.”

He started out.

The Sandres’ house was situated on the other side of the street, almost directly opposite his own.  He went across and knocked at the door, and a little servant opened it.