Adieu!" He turned quickly on his heel.

Reine was conscious of having been too hard with him, and not wishing him to go away with such a grief in his heart, she sought to retain him by placing her hand upon his arm.
"Come, Claudet," said she, entreatingly, "do not let us part in anger.
It pains me to see you suffer, and I am sorry if I have said anything unkind to you.

Give me your hand in good fellowship, will you ?" But Claudet drew back with a fierce gesture, and glancing angrily at Reine, he replied, rudely: "Thanks for your regrets and your pity; I have no use for them." She understood that he was deeply hurt; gave up entreating, and turned away with eyes full of tears.
He remained motionless, his arms crossed, in the middle of the road.
After some minutes, he turned his head.

Reine was already nothing more than a dark speck against the gray of the increasing fog.

Then he went off, haphazard, across the pasture-lands.