Page:The Bohemians of the Latin Quarter.djvu/397

cherished volumes. But Schaunard pointed out to him that nothing could be done with his arms or his legs.

Mimi strove to recover her gaiety to greet her old friends.

“I am no longer naughty,” said she to them, “and Rodolphe has forgiven me. If he will keep me with him I will wear wooden shoes and a mob-cap, it is all the same to me. Silk is certaintly not good for my health,” she added with a frightful smile.

At Marcel’s suggestion, Rodolphe had sent for one of his friends who had just passed as a doctor. It was the same who had formerly attended Francine. When he came they left him alone with Mimi.

Rodolphe, informed by Marcel, was already aware of the danger run by his mistress. When the doctor had spoken to Mimi, he said to Rodolphe—

“You cannot keep her here. Save for a miracle she is doomed. You must send her to the hospital. I will give you a letter for La Pitié. I known one of the house-surgeons there; she will be well looked after. If she lasts till the spring we may perhaps pull her through, but if she stays here she will be dead in a week.”

“I shall never dare propose it to her,” said Rodolphe.

“I spoke to her about it,” replied the doctor, “and she agreed. To-morrow I will send you the order of admission to La Pitié.”

“My dear,” said Mimi to Rodolphe, “the doctor is right; you cannot nurse me here. At the hospital they may perhaps cure me, you must send me there. Ah! you see I do so long to live now, that I would be willing to end my days with one hand in a raging fire and the other in yours. Besides, you will come and see me. You must not grieve, I shall be well taken care of: the doctor told me so. You get chicken at the hospital and they have