room at
the station, when he stopped suddenly in front of a young lady who was
kissing an old one. She had her veil up, and Morin murmured with
delight: "By Jove, what a pretty woman!"

When she had said "Good-bye" to the old lady, she went into the
waiting-room, and Morin followed her; then she went onto the platform,
and Morin still followed her; then she got into an empty carriage, and
he again followed her. There were very few travelers by the express, the
engine whistled, and the train started. They were alone. Morin devoured
her with his eyes. She appeared to be about nineteen or twenty, and was
fair, tall and with bold looks. She wrapped a railway rug round her
legs, and stretched herself on the seat to sleep.

Morin asked himself: "I wonder who she is?" And a thousand conjectures,
a thousand projects went through his head. He said to himself: "So many
adventures are told as happening on railway journeys that this may be
one that is going to present itself to me. Who knows? A piece of good
luck like that happens very quickly, and perhaps I need only be a little
venturesome. Was it not Danton who said: _Audacity, more audacity, and
always audacity_. If it was not Danton it was Mirabeau, but that does
not matter. But then, I have no audacity, and that is the difficulty.
Oh! If one only knew, if one could only read peoples' minds! I will bet
that every day one passes by magnificent opportunities without knowing
it, though a gesture would be enough to let me know that she did not ask
for anything better...."

Then he imagined to himself combinations which conducted him to triumph.
He pictured some chivalrous deed, or merely some slight service which he
rendered her, a lively, gallant conversation which ended in ... in what
do you think.

But he could find no opening; had no pretext, and he waited for some
fortunate circumstance, with his heart ravaged, and his mind
topsy-turvy. The night passed, and the pretty girl still slept, while
Morin was meditating his own fall. The day broke and soon the first ray
of sunlight appeared in the sky, a long, clear ray which shone on the
face of the sleeping girl, and woke her, so she sat up, looked at the
country, then at Morin and smiled. She smiled like a happy woman, with
an engaging and bright look, and Morin trembled. Certainly that smile
was intended for him, it was a discreet invitation, the signal which he
was waiting for. That smile meant to say: "How stupid, what a n