at daring hand without any anger, and kept removing it whenever
he put it round her; without, however, feeling at all embarrassed by
this caress, just as if it had been something quite natural, which she
was resisting just as naturally.

She was listening to the bird in ecstasy. She felt an infinite longing
for happiness, for some sudden demonstration of tenderness, for the
revelation of super-human poetry, and she felt such a softening at her
heart, and relaxation of her nerves, that she began to cry, without
knowing why, and now the young man was straining her close to him, and
she did not remove his arm; she did not think of it. Suddenly the
nightingale stopped, and a voice called out in the distance:

"Henriette!"

"Do not reply," he said in a low voice; "you will drive the bird away."

But she had no idea of doing so, and they remained in the same position
for some time. Madame Dufour had sat down somewhere or other, for from
time to time they heard the stout lady break out into little bursts of
laughter.

The girl was still crying; she was filled with strange sensations.
Henri's head was on her shoulder, and suddenly he kissed her on the
lips. She was surprised and angry, and, to avoid him, she stood up.

They were both very pale, when they quitted their grassy retreat. The
blue sky looked dull to them, and the ardent sun was clouded over to
their eyes, but they perceived not the solitude and silence. They walked
quickly side by side, without speaking or touching each other, for they
appeared to be irreconcilable enemies, as if disgust had sprung up
between them, and hatred between their souls, and from time to time
Henriette called out: "Mamma!"

By-and-bye they heard a noise in a thicket, and the stout lady appeared
looking rather confused, and her companion's face was wrinkled with
smiles which he could not check.

Madame Dufour took his arm, and they returned to the boats, and Henri,
who was going on first, still without speaking, by the girl's side, and
at last they got back to Bezons. Monsieur Dufour, who had got sober, was
waiting for them very impatiently, while the young man with the yellow
hair, was having a mouthful of something to eat, before leaving the inn.
The carriage was in the yard, with the horse in, and the grandmother,
who had already got in, was very frightened at the thought of being
overtaken by night, before they got back to Paris, as the outskirts were
not safe.

They shook han