ought to divert himself, held out his hand to pleasure, and made
fresh acquaintances. He associated with the poet Rodolphe, whom he had
met at a cafe, and each felt a warm sympathy towards the other. Jacques
explained his worries, and Rodolphe was not long in understanding their
cause.

"My friend," said he, "I know what it is," and tapping him on the chest
just over the heart he added, "Quick, you must rekindle the fire there,
start a little love affair at once, and ideas will recur to you."

"Ah!" said Jacques. "I loved Francine too dearly."

"It will not hinder you from still always loving her. You will embrace
her on another's lips."

"Oh!" said Jacques. "If I could only meet a girl who resembled her."

And he left Rodolphe deep in thought.

* * * * *

Six weeks later Jacques had recovered all his energy, rekindled by the
tender glances of a young girl whose name was Marie, and whose somewhat
sickly beauty recalled that of poor Francine. Nothing, indeed, could be
prettier than this pretty Marie, who was within six weeks of being
eighteen years of age, as she never failed to mention. Her love affair
with Jacques had its birth by moonlight in the garden of an open air
ball, to the strains of a shrill violin, a grunting double bass, and a
clarinet that trilled like a blackbird. Jacques met her one evening when
gravely walking around the space reserved for the dancers. Seeing him
pass stiffly in his eternal black coat buttoned to the throat, the
pretty and noisy frequenters of the place, who knew him by sight, used
to say amongst themselves, "What is that undertaker doing here? Is there
anyone who wants to be buried?"

And Jacques walked on always alone, his heart bleeding within him from
the thorns of a remembrance which the orchestra rendered keener by
playing a lively quadrille which sounded to his ears as mournful as a
_De Profundis_. It was in the midst of this reverie that he noticed
Marie, who was watching him from a corner, and laughing like a wild
thing at his gloomy bearing. Jacques raised his eyes and saw this burst
of laughter in a pink bonnet within three paces of him. He went up to
her and made a few remarks, to which she replied. He offered her his arm
for a stroll around the garden which she accepted. He told her that he
thought her as beautiful as an angel, and she made him repeat it twice
over. He stole some green apples hanging from the trees of the garden
for h