I recognised the hand of Gaston.
"We are talking sense," said Marguerite; "leave us alone; we will be back soon." "Good, good! Talk, my children," said Prudence, going out and closing the door behind her, as if to further emphasize the tone in which she had said these words.
"Well, it is agreed," continued Marguerite, when we were alone, "you won't fall in love with me ?" "I will go away." "So much as that ?" I had gone too far to draw back; and I was really carried away.

This mingling of gaiety, sadness, candour, prostitution, her very malady, which no doubt developed in her a sensitiveness to impressions, as well as an irritability of nerves, all this made it clear to me that if from the very beginning I did not completely dominate her light and forgetful nature, she was lost to me.
"Come, now, do you seriously mean what you say ?" she said.
"Seriously." "But why didn't you say it to me sooner ?" "When could I have said it ?" "The day after you had been introduced to me at the Opera Comique." "I thought you would have received me very badly if I had come to see you." "Why ?" "Because I had behaved so stupidly." "That's true.

And yet you were already in love with me." "Yes." "And that didn't hinder you from going to bed and sleeping quite comfortably.

One knows what that sort of love means." "There you are mistaken.

Do you know what I did that evening, after the Opera Comique ?" "No." "I waited for you at the door of the Cafe Anglais.