Page:The Bohemians of the Latin Quarter.djvu/393

“Thanks,” said she, holding out her hand to Marcel and Rodolphe, who moved away together.

“Do you want to lock yourself in?” asked Marcel as he got to the door.

“Why?” said Mimi, looking at Rodolphe, “I am not afraid.”

When the two friends were alone in Rodolphe’s room, which was on the same floor, Marcel abruptly said to his friend:

“Well, what are you going to do now?”

“I do not know,” stammered Rodolphe.

“Come, do not shilly-shally, go and join Mimi! If you do, I prophecy that to-morrow you will be living together again.”

“If it were Musette who had returned, what would you do?” enquired Rodolphe of his friend.

“If it were Musette that was in the next room,” replied Marcel, “well, frankly, I believe that I should not have been in this one for a quarter of an hour past.”

“Well,” said Rodolphe, “I will be more courageous than you, I shall stay here.”

“We shall see that,” said Marcel, who had already got into bed. “Are you coming to bed?”

“Certainly,” replied Rodolphe.

But in the middle of the night, Marcel waking up, perceived that Rodolphe had left him.

In the morning, he went and tapped discreetly at the door of the room in which Mimi was.

“Come in,” said she, and on seeing him, she made a sign to him to speak low in order not to wake Rodolphe who was asleep. He was seated in an arm-chair, which he had drawn up to the side of the bed, his head resting on the pillow beside that of Mimi.