I had taken her cure in hand, and the poor girl, seeing my aim, obeyed me in order to prove her gratitude.

I had succeeded without effort or trouble in almost isolating her from her former habits.

My doctor, whom I had made her meet, had told me that only rest and calm could preserve her health, so that in place of supper and sleepless nights, I succeeded in substituting a hygienic regime and regular sleep.

In spite of herself, Marguerite got accustomed to this new existence, whose salutary effects she already realized.

She began to spend some of her evenings at home, or, if the weather was fine, she wrapped herself in a shawl, put on a veil, and we went on foot, like two children, in the dim alleys of the Champs-Elysees.