She was sitting on his knees, and holding him in her arms as though to share his dangers. She murmured: “Oh, my poor darling! my poor darling!”
When he had finished his narration, she said: “Do you know, I cannot live without you. I must see you, and with my husband in Paris it is not easy. Often I could find an hour in the morning before you were up to run in and kiss you, but I won’t enter that awful house of yours. What is to be done?”
He suddenly had an inspiration, and asked: “What is the rent here?”
“A hundred francs a month.”
“Well, I will take the rooms over on my own account, and live here altogether. Mine are no longer good enough for my new position.”
She reflected a few moments, and then said: “No, I won’t have that.”
He was astonished, and asked: “Why not?”
“Because I won’t.”
“That is not a reason. These rooms suit me very well. I am here, and shall remain here. Besides,” he added, with a laugh, “they are taken in my name.”
But she kept on refusing, “No, no, I won’t have it.”
“Why not, then?”