Page:The Writings of Prosper Merimee-Volume 5.djvu/255

Rh, she had left the drawing-room and retired to her own little room, barely furnished with a wooden bed, an old screen, a torn carpet and an old bureau with a small mirror. There, by the light of a solitary candle, she would cry her heart out.

One morning, two days after the evening at Naroumof's and about a week before the scene just described, Lisabeta was seated near the window, as usual, working at her embroidery, when happening to look out, she saw a young officer of Engineers standing on the corner looking at her. She lowered her eyes and went on working with renewed energy. After a few minutes she raised her eyes once more and saw that the officer was still looking at her. Not being in the habit of flirting with the young men who passed her window, she kept her eyes resolutely fixed on her work for more than two hours, until someone came to say that dinner was ready. Then having to rise and put away her work, she looked out and the young officer was still standing in the same place. This rather puzzled her. After dinner she drew her chair to the window, with some trepidation, but the officer was gone, and after a while, she forgot all about him.

Two days later, when about to enter the