ooking for Madame Madeleine, are you not? She has left but
a few moments ago, in company with Madame Pauline." And at the same
instant, Paul perceived the cabin-boy and the two pretty girls standing
at the other end of the cafe, all three holding each others' waists and
lying in wait for him, whispering to one another. He understood, and,
like a madman, dashed off into the island.

He first ran towards Chatou, but having reached the plain, retraced his
steps. Then he began to search the dense coppices, occasionally roamed
about distractedly, halting to listen.

The toads all round about him poured out their metallic and short notes.

Towards Bougival, some unknown bird warbled some song which reached him
from the distance.

Over the large lawns the moon shed a soft light, resembling powdered
wool; it penetrated the foliage and shone upon the silvered bark of the
poplars, and riddled with its brilliant rays the waving tops of the
great trees. The entrancing poetry of this summer night had, in spite of
himself, entered into Paul, athwart his infatuated anguish, and stirred
his heart with a ferocious irony, increasing even to madness, his craving
for an ideal tenderness, for passionate outpourings of the bosom of an
adored and faithful woman. He was compelled to stop, choked by hurried
and rending sobs.

The crisis over, he started anew.

Suddenly, he received what resembled the stab of a poignard. There,
behind that bush, some people were kissing. He ran thither; and found an
amorous couple whose faces were entwined, united in an endless kiss.

He dared not call, knowing well that she would not respond, and he had
also a frightful dread of discovering them all at once.

The flourishes of the quadrilles, with the ear-splitting solos of the
cornet, the false shriek of the flute, the shrill squeaking of the
violin, irritated his feelings, and exasperated his sufferings. Wild and
limping music was floating under the trees, now feeble, now stronger,
wafted hither and thither by the breeze.

Suddenly, he said to himself, that possibly she had returned. Yes, she
had returned! Why not? He had stupidly lost his head, without cause,
carried away by his fears, by the inordinate suspicions which had for
some time overwhelmed him.

Seized by one of these singular calms which will sometimes occur in cases
of the greatest despair, he returned towards the ball-room.

With a single glance of the eye, he took in the whole room.