Page:Middle Aged Love Stories (IA middleagedlove00bacorich).djvu/187

 France you could make them give you that share. It's yours, monsieur: you ought to have it!"

His face flushed; he seized her hands and clutched them till she could have screamed with the pain. He babbled incoherent thanks and blessings. He saw himself returned with double her loan. His delight was childish to think that! he should have forgotten that! And when, struck by sudden misgiving, he let go her hands:

"Ah, mademoiselle, it is long ago, all zat! It is mine, yes; but if I cannot get it? Ce n'est pas sûr, ça—I cannot tell if I shall have from all zat one single sou—"

"Monsieur," she said, with sincerity and pride, "I have been poor all my life. You would have done this for me, I am sure—you did something just like it once. Will you not let me give as I should like to for once in my life? I believe you will pay it back: if you