Please, tell me frankly if I ever do. I promise you I shan’t take offence.”

“No, I don’t think you’ve said anything you shouldn’t. And if you really want me to be frank with you, I don’t mind telling you that women rather like shy men like you. And if you want me to speak more frankly, I like it too, and I promise not to send you away till we reach my home.”

“I’m afraid,” I began, breathless with excitement, “you’ll make me lose my shyness at once, and then goodbye to all my schemes!”

“Devices? What schemes, and what for? I must say that isn’t nice at all.”

“I beg your pardon. I’m awfully sorry. It was a slip of the tongue. But how can you expect me at this moment not to wish.…”

“To make a good impression, you mean?”

“Well, yes. And do, for goodness sake, be fair. Just think—who am I? At twenty-six—yes, I’m twenty-six—I’ve never really known anyone. So how can you expect me to speak well, cleverly, and to the point? You, too, I think, would prefer us to be straightforward and honest with each other, wouldn’t you? I just can’t be silent when my heart is moved to speak. Well, anyway … I know you’ll hardly believe me, but I’ve never spoken to any woman, never! Never known one, either! I only dream that some day I shall meet someone at last. Oh, if only you knew how many times I’ve fallen in love like that!”

“But how? Who with?”

“With no one, of course. Just with my ideal, with the woman I see in my dreams. I make up all sorts of romantic love stories in my dreams. Oh, you don’t know the sort of man I am! It’s true I have known two or three women—you can’t help that, can you?—but what sort of women were they? They were all so mercenary that … But let me tell you something really funny, let me tell you how several times I longed to talk to a society lady in the street, I mean, talk to her when she was alone, and without any formality. Very humbly, of course, very respectfully, very passionately. Tell her how horribly depressed I am by my lonely life; ask her not to send me away; explain to her that I have no other way of knowing what a woman is like; suggest to her that it is really her duty as a woman not to reject the humble entreaty of an unhappy man like me; finally, explain to her that all I want of her is that she should say a few friendly words to me, say them with sympathy and understanding, that she should not send me away at once, that she should believe my protestations, that she should listen to what I had to tell her, laugh at me by all means, if she wanted to, but also hold out some hope to me, just say two words to me, and then we need not see each other again! But you’re laughing.… Well, as a matter of fact, I only said that to make you laugh.…”

“Don’t be cross with me. I’m laughing because you are your own enemy, and if you had tried you would, I’m sure, have perhaps succeeded, even though it all happened in the street. The simpler, the better. Not one kind-hearted woman, provided, of course, she was not a fool, or angry at something at the time, would have the heart to send you away without saying the two words you were so humbly asking for. But I may be wrong. She would most likely have taken you for a madman. I’m afraid I was judging by myself. I know very well, I assure you, how people live in the world!”

“Thank you,” I cried, “thank you a thousand times! You don’t know how much I appreciate what you’ve just done for me!”

“All right, all right! Only tell me how did you guess I’m one of those women with whom … well, whom you thought worthy … of your attention and friendship. I mean, not a mercenary one, as you call it. What made you decide to come up to me?”

“What made me do that? Why, you were alone, and that fellow was much too insolent. It all happened at night, too, and you must admit it was my duty.…”

“No, no! I mean before. On the other side of the street. You wanted to come up to me, didn’t you?”

“On the other side of the street? Well, I really don’t know what to say. I’m afraid I … You see, I was so happy today.