Sauvresy, after
breakfast, took his gun and whistled to his dogs.

"I'm going to take a turn in Mauprevoir wood," said he.

"A queer idea," remarked Hector, "for you won't see the end of your
gun-barrel in the woods."

"No matter, if I see some pheasants."

This was only a pretext, for Sauvresy, on leaving Valfeuillu, took
the direct road to Corbeil, and half an hour later, faithful to his
promise, he entered the Belle Image tavern.

Jenny was waiting for him in the large room which had always been
reserved for her since she became a regular customer of the house.
Her eyes were red with recent tears; she was very pale, and her
marble color showed that she had not slept. Her breakfast lay
untouched on the table near the fireplace, where a bright fire was
burning. When Sauvresy came in, she rose to meet him, and took him
by the hand with a friendly motion.

"Thank you for coming," said she. "Ah, you are very good."

Jenny was only a girl, and Sauvresy detested girls; but her grief
was so sincere and seemed so deep, that he was touched.

"You are suffering, Madame?" asked he.

"Oh, yes, very much."

Her tears choked her, and she concealed her face in her handkerchief.

"I guessed right," thought Sauvresy. "Hector has deserted her.
Now I must smooth the wound, and yet make future meetings between
them impossible."

He took the weeping Jenny's hand, and softly pulled away the
handkerchief.

"Have courage," said he.

She lifted her tearful eyes to him, and said:

"You know, then?"

"I know nothing, for, as you asked me, I have said nothing to
Tremorel; but I can imagine what the trouble is."

"He will not see me any more," murmured Jenny. "He has deserted me."

Sauvresy summoned up all his eloquence. The moment to be persuasive
and paternal had come. He drew a chair up to Jenny's, and sat down.

"Come, my child," pursued he, "be resigned. People are not always
young, you know. A time comes when the voice of reason must be
heard. Hector does not desert you, but he sees the necessity of
assuring his future, and placing his life on a domestic foundation;
he feels the need of a home."

Jenny stopped crying. Nature took the upper hand, and her tears
were dried by the fire of anger which took possession of her. She
rose, overturning her chair, and walked restlessly up and down the
room.

"Do you believe that?" said she. "Do you believe that Hector
troubles himself about his future? I see you don't know