Conscience -- Volume 3

fternoon slip away, and although he worked to employ his time

ssing quickly, and then all at

and it was only in being master of himself that he could be saved. He must have the coolness of a surgeon during an opera

cape from t

ngly, although he knew the uselessness of it. What

ne, and now he could do nothing more. He did the best he could in choosing an hour when

too dark the lamps would be lighted. He remembered that it was by lamplight she had seen him. Until evening the weather was uncertain, with a sky sometimes sunny, sometimes cloudy; bu

ning, and that as the moment of attack approached, his agitation decreased; decision, f

ner, Balzajette did all the talking, so that Saniel had only to reply "yes" or "no" from time to time, and of course it was not of Madame Damm

th. On passing the old concierge's lodge he felt satisfied with himself; his heart did not beat too quickly, his ideas we

tibule to await their arrival. Balzajette entered first, and Saniel followed him, giving a hasty g

a feminine voic

that could be wished, neither too light nor too dar

aniel," Balzajette sai

, and takin

e windows, rather in the middle of the room, placed there evidently after the e

that the daylight was behind him, and consequently his face was in shadow. This was done naturally, wit

end, only asking and seeking the indispensable; and as Madame Dammauville's replies were as precise as his questions, while listening and putting in a word from time to time he said to himself that his dinner would not be

of being sensitive to cold, Balzajette found tha

ays been sens

ition to take cold if the temperat

ercise in t

y li

sed to try shower-b

have been ab

her, Madame Dammauville lived in a more modern apartment which was heated by a furnace, and w

lle went on, "I employed every means to shelter me from the cold, which I am sure is my great

s careful not to turn his head toward the window; he kept his face in the s

arpets on the floors, thick curtains at the windows and doors, and in

ove?" Saniel asked, pointing to a small mo

ire in the chimney. The fire is made in the evening just before I go to sleep; th

confrere' and myself will consider the question whether it will not be possible to give you the heat you need with this

ine the patient on her bed, but without turning round, a

the reflection of th

king for a lamp: witho

as useless, the dayl

uickly came to an amicable conclusion, for at

partake of my opinion. Tha

nd the treatment were rapidly settled; Saniel proposed, Balzajette approved. The question of the movable stove was decided in two wor

d, who took the initiative and

too light to need lamps, besides, during their tete-a-tete, no

le table near the bed, and two other lighted lamps with globes were on the mantel, reflecting their light in the mirror. How had he not foreseen that there was

ll. But to prepare himself for what? Either to enter

jette said, who never lost an occasio

eyes were on Saniel, placed beween her and the chimney with his back

nd this glance, could not but be struck with it. Happily for him, he had only to let Balzajette

tend her hand toward the lamp on the table, and raise the shade by lowering it toward her in such a way as

le uttered a sma

yes went from Madame Dammauville to Sanie

uffering?"

at

e asked for an explanation of a thing that astonishe

it," he said with

ou. It is his fault. Why the devil did he have

d not released the lamps

pale and his

this sacrifice to his new functions; the st

ed to him; but, thinking of his dinner, he was not going to launch into a discou

ammauville stopped him wi

who was assassinated opposite?" s

owledgment, Saniel could

n to prove his

ps toward the door, but

ness with him

im sever

his conversation, whic

w, but not in the morning, for I go to the country