Little by little she approached my table and seeing that all the bottles were empty, smiled.
I saw that she had fine teeth of brilliant whiteness; I took her hand and begged her to be seated; she consented with good grace and asked what we should have for supper.
I looked at her without saying a word, while my eyes began to fill with tears; she observed my emotion and inquired the cause.

I could not reply.

She understood that I had some secret sorrow and forebore any attempt to learn the cause; with her handkerchief she dried my tears from time to time as we dined.
There was something about this girl at once repulsive and sweet, a singular boldness mingled with pity, that I could not understand.

If she had taken my hand in the street she would have inspired a feeling of horror in me; but it seemed so strange that a creature I had never seen should come to me, and, without a word, proceed to order supper and dry my tears with her handkerchief, that I was rendered speechless; it revolted, yet charmed me.

What I had done had been done so quickly that I seemed to have obeyed some impulse of despair.