At this arrangement, highly absurd as it was, not a soul in the room dared to laugh; luckless for the giggler would have been the giggle. As for me, I took it with entire coolness. There I sat, isolated and cut off from human intercourse; I sat and minded my work, and was quiet, and not at all unhappy.

“ Est ce assez de distance? ” 157 he demanded.

“ Monsieur en est l’arbitre ,” 158 said I.

“ Vous savez bien que non. C’est vous qui avez crée ce vide immense: moi je n’y ai pas mis la main. ” 159