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236 "First of all, you need money for that, for the little apartment, I mean and you haven't got it!"

"Why yes, yes, my dear," I exclaimed triumphantly, "I have some money. We have enough to live on for two months, three months while I make my fortune!"

"You have money? Let me see it."

I showed her four one thousand franc bills. Juliette greedily snatched them one after another, counted them, examined them. Her eyes shone, surprised and delighted.

"Four thousand francs, dear! you really have four thousand francs! Why, you are rich! Well, well!"

She hung on my neck, caressed me.

"Well now," she resumed, "since you are so rich, I should like to have a little traveling dressing case that I saw at the Rue de Paix. You will buy it for me, won't you, dearie?"

I felt a tug at my heart so painful that I nearly fell to the floor, and a well of tears blinded me. Still I had the courage to ask:

"How much does your dressing case cost?"

"Two thousand francs, my dear."

"All right! Take two thousand francs out of that. You'll buy it yourself."

Juliette kissed my forehead, took the two bills which she quickly hid in her coat pocket, and her gaze fixed on the two bills which still remained and for which she no doubt regretted she had not asked, she said:

"Really? Do you want me to? Ah! that's nice! That will give me a chance to come to see you with my new dressing case, if you should return to Ploch."

When she was gone, I abandoned myself to an outburst of anger against her, above all against myself, and when the anger subsided I suddenly realized to my astonishment that I no longer suffered. Yes, I