“The following year she met him near the school. playing marbles. She rushed up to him, threw her arms round him, and kissed him so passionately that he screamed, in fear. To quiet him, she gave him all her money. Three francs and twenty centimes!A real gold mine, at which he gazed with staring eyes.
“After this he allowed her to kiss him as much as she wished.
“During the next four years she put into his hands all her savings, which he pocketed conscientiously in exchange for kisses. At one time it was thirty sons, at another two francs. Again, she only had twelve sous. She wept with grief and shame, explaining brokenly that it had been a poor year. The next time she brought five francs, in one whole piece, which made her laugh with joy.
“She no longer thought of any one but the boy, and he watched for her with impatience; sometimes he would run to meet her. This made her heart thump with joy.
“Suddenly he disappeared. He had gone to boarding school. She found this out by careful investigation. Then she used great diplomacy to persuade her parents to change their route and pass by this way again during vacation. After a year of scheming she succeeded. She had not seen him for two years, and scarcely recognized him, he was so changed, had grown taller, better looking and was imposing in his uniform, with its brass buttons. He pretended not to see her, and passed by without a glance.
“She wept for two days and from that time loved and suffered unceasingly.
“Every year he came home and she passed him, not daring to lift her eyes. He never condescended2 to turn his head toward her. She loved him madly, hopelessly. She said to me:He is the only man whom I have ever seen. I don’t even know if another exists.’
“Her parents died. She continued their work.