When the two men parted with Diane on the landing and went up to their garret, their beds separated only with a canvas curtain, François slapped Jean on the back, and said:
“Never mind, old man! It’s easy enough to forget a woman.”
Jean turned on François a look of contempt.
Jean undressed quickly and laid down upon his hard bed, but not to sleep. He would not give François a chance to gibe at him next day about a sleepless night, and so lay rigidly still in the blackness of the long, low-ceiled garret.
He knew when it was one o’clock by the sound across the street of the closing of the Hotel Metropole, the banging of shutters, and the barring of gates. By some strange psychic intimation he knew that François, although perfectly quiet, was as wide awake as he. Presently, he heard strange sounds from the other side of the canvas partition, something like suppressed sobs and groans. Jean, thinking François was ill, drew aside a corner of the canvas at the end. François was huddled in a heap on the floor, clasping his knees and rocking back and forth, while strangled sobs and smothered cries burst from him. Jean, abashed, returned to his own bed.
The next morning, a bouquet of roses and a little note arrived from the Marquis. This gave unalloyed happiness to two persons--Diane and Grandin.
“A bouquet for a lady in my company from a marquis!” cried Grandin. “It’s enough to make a man mad with joy!”
Before breakfast Diane sallied forth, and came back bringing a book on etiquette which she immediately proceeded to study diligently.
When they all assembled for the twelve o’clock dinner, Diane could scarcely be torn away from her book.
“You see,” she said to the assembled table, “I have got to learn how to behave like a marquise--and all in three weeks.”
“_You_ behave like a marquise!” said Jean, somewhat rudely, and laughing. “You will be about as comfortable as a mackerel in a gravel walk! Excuse me, Diane.”
“Yes, I will excuse you,” said Diane, serenely. “You have been so good to me for so long, and now I have but eighteen more performances with you.”
Her lips trembled a little at this, but she quickly resumed:
“The book says that a girl must never see her fiancé alone, and a fiancé should not call oftener than twice a week. That I shall arrange, and Madame Grandin will stay with me.”