Page:The Bohemians of the Latin Quarter.djvu/401

“Good-bye,” said Mimi. “Thursday without fail, and come early.”

The following day on coming home at night, Rodolphe received a letter from a medical student, a dresser at the hospital, to whose care he had recommended the invalid. The letter only contained these words:—

“My dear friend, I have very bad news for you. No. 8 is dead. This morning on going through the ward I found her bed vacant.”

Rodolphe dropped on to a chair and did not shed a tear. When Marcel came in later he found his friend in the same stupefied attitude. With a gesture the poet showed him the letter.

“Poor girl!” said Marcel.

“It is strange,” said Rodolphe, putting his hand to his heart; “I feel nothing here. Was my love killed on learning that Mimi was to die?”

“Who knows?” murmured the painter.

Mimi’s death caused great mourning amongst the Bohemians.

A week later Rodolphe met in the street the dresser who had informed him of his mistress’s death.

“Ah! my dear Rodolphe,” said he, hastening up to the poet, “forgive me the pain I caused you by my heedlessness.”

“What do you mean?” asked Rodolphe in astonishment.

“What,” replied the dresser, “do you not know? you have not seen her again?”

“Seen whom?” exclaimed Rodolphe.

“Her, Mimi.”

“What,” said the poet, turning deadly pale.

“I made a mistake. When I wrote you that terrible news I was the victim of an error. This is how it was: I had been away from the hospital for a couple of days.