take care of yourself, Bernard."

She gave me a sweet little nod. In her big eyes, already hollowed by
suffering, there was an indefinable expression, in which distrust and
hope, affection and wonder, were depicted alternately or at times all
together.

"I will take care of myself; I will get some sleep; and I will not be
sad any longer," I answered.

"And you will work?"

"And I will work--but, you, Edmee, will you forgive me for all the pain
I have caused you? and will you try to like me a little?"

"I shall like you very much," she replied, "if you are always as you are
this evening."

On the morrow, at daybreak, I went to the abbe's room. He was already up
and reading.

"Monsieur Aubert," I said to him, "you have several times offered
to give me lessons. I now come to request you to carry out your kind
offer."

I had spent part of the night in preparing this opening speech and in
deciding how I had best comport myself in the abbe's presence. Without
really hating him, for I could quite see that he meant well and that he
bore me ill-will only because of my faults, I felt very bitter towards
him. Inwardly I recognised that I deserved all the bad things he had
said about me to Edmee; but it seemed to me that he might have insisted
somewhat more on the good side of mine to which he had given a merely
passing word, and which could not have escaped the notice of a man so
observant as himself. I had determined, therefore, to be very cold
and very proud in my bearing towards him. To this end I judged with a
certain show of logic, that I ought to display great docility as long as
the lesson lasted, and that immediately afterwards I ought to leave him
with a very curt expression of thanks. In a word, I wished to humiliate
him in his post of tutor; for I was not unaware that he depended for his
livelihood on my uncle, and that, unless he renounced this livelihood
or showed himself ungrateful, he could not well refuse to undertake
my education. My reasoning here was very good; but the spirit which
prompted it was very bad; and subsequently I felt so much regret for my
behaviour that I made him a sort of friendly confession with a request
for absolution.

However, not to anticipate events, I will simply say that the first
few days after my conversation afforded me an ample revenge for the
prejudices, too well founded in many respects, which this man had
against me. He would have deserved the title of "the just," ass