my nerves are irritated by
my last meal. I pass her by as usual; am almost at the door and on the
point of entering. There I stop. All of a sudden an inspiration seizes
me. Without rendering myself any account of it, I turn round and go
straight up to the lady, look her in the face, and bow.

"Good-evening."

"Good-evening," she answers.

Excuse me, was she looking for anything? I had noticed her before;
could I be of assistance to her in any way? begged pardon, by-the-way,
so earnestly for inquiring.

Yes; she didn't quite know....

No one lived inside that door besides three or four horses and myself;
it was, for that matter, only a stable and a tinker's workshop.... She
was certainly on a wrong track if she was seeking any one there.

At this she turns her head away, and says: "I am not seeking for
anybody. I am only standing here; it was really only a whim. I" ... she
stops.

Indeed, really, she only stood there, just stood there, evening after
evening, just for a whim's sake!

That was a little odd. I stood and pondered over it, and it perplexed
me more and more. I made up my mind to be daring; I jingled my money in
my pocket, and asked her, without further ado, to come and have a glass
of wine some place or another ... in consideration that winter had
come, ha, ha! ... it needn't take very long ... but perhaps she would
scarcely....

Ah, no, thanks; she couldn't well do that. No! she couldn't do that;
but would I be so kind as to accompany her a little way? She ... it was
rather dark to go home now, and she was rather nervous about going up
Carl Johann after it got so late.

We moved on; she walked at my right side. A strange, beautiful feeling
empowered me; the certainty of being near a young girl. I looked at her
the whole way along. The scent of her hair; the warmth that irradiated
from her body; the perfume of woman that accompanied her; the sweet
breath every time she turned her face towards me--everything penetrated
in an ungovernable way through all my senses. So far, I just caught a
glimpse of a full, rather pale, face behind the veil, and a high bosom
that curved out against her cape. The thought of all the hidden beauty
which I surmised lay sheltered under the cloak and veil bewildered me,
making me idiotically happy without any reasonable grounds. I could not
endure it any longer; I touched her with my hand, passed my fingers
over her shoulder, and smiled imbecilely.

"How queer you are,"