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Among the most enthusiastic singers Élodie recognized the handsome dragoon, the little lawyer's clerk, Henry, her first love. After the performance the gallant Desmahis called a cabriolet and escorted the citoyenne Blaise back to the Amour peintre. In the carriage the artist took Élodie's hand between his: "You know, Élodie, I love you?" "I know it, because you love all women."
She made no further attempt therefore to cure what she called her lover's crotchets, and Gamelin remained firm in the conviction that Jacques Maubel was Élodie's seducer. Through the days that ensued the Tribunal devoted its undivided attention to the task of crushing Federalism, which, like a hydra, had threatened to devour Liberty.
The poor mother, her face as white as her coif, dropped her knitting from her trembling hands and sighed in a voice fainter than the faintest whisper: "I would not believe it, but I see it now; my boy is a monster...." As pale as she, the froth gathering on his lips, Évariste fled from the house and ran to find at Élodie's side forgetfulness, sleep, the delicious foretaste of extinction.
He refers to Salis and Matthisson, but Lamartine and people of his kidney come in 'Melancholy gentlemen' pardon, my dear Elodie, if I quote it in English 'Melancholy gentlemen to whom life was only a dismal swamp, upon whose margin they walked with cambric handkerchiefs in their hands, sobbing and sighing and making signals to Death to come and ferry them over the lake. Cela veut dire," he made a marvellous French paraphrase for Elodie's benefit.
When he found himself in the street, he saw the window of Élodie's chamber half unclose and a little hand pluck a red carnation, which fell at his feet like a drop of blood.
With Elodie I could not enter into these explanations. "All the same she is passably rich," Elodie persisted. "One does not buy a costume like that under five hundred francs." The crimson vested and sashed and tarbooshed Algerian negro brought the coffee, and poured out the five cups. We sipped. I noticed Elodie's hand shake. "If their coffee gets cold, so much the worse."
"And, if you show talent, we may come to a better arrangement for the next tour." "And if I show no talent at all?" He made a deprecating gesture and grinned in his charming way. But Elodie's intuition taught her that there was the stern purpose of a man behind the grin. She had imposed her helplessness on him this once. But if she failed him she would not have, professionally, a second chance.
Once or twice Andrew went hungry. In his sober and dignified way he drew Elodie's attention to his unusual condition. It led to their first quarrel. After that they ate, very comfortably, at a little restaurant round the corner. It was not the home life of which Andrew had dreamed not even the reincarnation of Madame Flint sitting by the round table darning socks by the light of the shaded lamp.
Not a garment straggled about the room. The toilet table, usually strewn with a myriad promiscuously ill-assorted articles, stared nakedly. There were no boxes. The cage of love-birds, Elodie's inseparable companions, had gone. "Madame ?" He questioned the femme de chambre. "But Madame has departed. Did not Monsieur know?" Monsieur obviously did not know.
Évariste Gamelin seized Élodie's hand, but dropped it again swiftly next moment: "Farewell! I have involved you in my hideous fortunes, I have blasted your life for ever. Farewell! I pray you may forget me!" "Whatever you do," she warned him, "do not go back home to-night. Come to the Amour peintre. Do not ring; throw a pebble at my shutters.
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