by errand boys and
porters; crossed the roads, regardless of the vehicles and the shouts of
the drivers; stumbled against the curbstones, which she did not see; and
hurried on and on, unconscious of everything and everyone. At last she
found herself in some gardens, and, feeling too weary to walk any
further, she dropped on a seat. She sat there a long while, apparently
unaware that the tears were running down her cheeks, and that passersby
stopped to look at her. At last the bitter cold made her rise to go, but
her legs would hardly carry her, so weak and exhausted was she. She
would have liked some soup, but she dared not go into a restaurant, for
she knew people could see she was in trouble, and it made her feel timid
and ashamed. When she passed an eating-place she would stop a moment at
the door, look inside, and see all the people sitting at the tables
eating, and then go on again, saying to herself: "I will go into the
next one"; but when she came to the next her courage always failed her
again. In the end she went into a baker's shop, and bought a little
crescent-shaped roll, which she ate as she went along. She was very
thirsty, but she did not know where to go to get anything to drink, so
she went without.

She passed under an arch, and found herself in some more gardens with
arcades running all round them, and she recognized the Palais Royal. Her
walk in the sun had made her warm again, so she sat down for another
hour or two. A crowd of people flowed into the gardens--an elegant crowd
composed of beautiful women and wealthy men, who only lived for dress
and pleasure, and who chatted and smiled and bowed as they sauntered
along. Feeling ill at ease amidst this brilliant throng, Jeanne rose to
go away; but suddenly the thought struck her that perhaps she might meet
Paul here, and she began to walk from end to end of the gardens, with
hasty, furtive steps, carefully scanning every face she met.

Soon she saw that people turned to look and laugh at her, and she
hurried away, thinking it was her odd appearance and her green-checked
dress, which Rosalie had chosen and had made up, that attracted
everyone's attention and smiles. She hardly dared ask her way, but she
did at last venture, and when she had reached her hotel, she passed the
rest of the day sitting on a chair at the foot of the bed. In the
evening she dined off some soup and a little meat, like the day before,
and then undressed and went to bed, perfor