"--
"'And have you seen him no More?' asks Claude, full of sympathy.
"'Yes! once again. He pretended to be looking at the window of the
Little Dunkirk, over the way, but with cautious glances towards our
house. Only, as he did not know what storey we live on, he failed to
discover me behind my curtain, where I was but half visible.'
"'You should have shown yourself.'
"'Oh, Claude!' she cried, with a delicious gesture of timidity, of
shame.
"So they prattled for a long time; he talking of the great Guimard,
she of her unknown lover, scarce listening to, but completely
understanding each other.
"'Holloa!'cries the loud voice of Christopher Marteau. 'What are you
doing out there?'
"The young people arose. Phlipote linked her arm gaily in that of
Claude. 'How contented I feel!' she says; 'how good it is to have a
friend--to have you whom I used to detest, because I thought you were
in love with me. Now, when I know you can't bear me, I [144] shall
be nicely in love with you.' The soft warmth of her arm seemed to
pass through Claude, and gave him strange sensations. He resumed
naively, 'Yes! and how odd it is after all that I am not in love with
you. You are so pretty!' Phlipote raised her finger coquettishly,
'No compliments, monsieur.
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