I must interrogate her and find out whether she still corresponds with him and sees him." The entrance of Mme.

Chantelouve into his reflections saddened him.

He took out his watch and murmured, "What a bore.

She will come again, and again I shall have to--if only there were any possibility of convincing her of the futility of the carnal somersaults! In any case, she can't be very well pleased, because, to her frantic letter soliciting a meeting, I responded three days later by a brief, dry note, inviting her to come here this evening.

It certainly was lacking in lyricism, too much so, perhaps." He rose and went into his bedroom to make sure that the fire was burning brightly, then he returned and sat down, without even arranging his room as he had the other times.