»Así, pues, hacía un tiempo magnífico, y suave, y claro, que se metía en el cuerpo por los ojos al mirar y por la boca al respirar. ¡Rose y Simon se besaban a cada momento! Me daba no sé qué verlos. El señor Beaurain y yo caminábamos tras ellos, sin hablar. Cuando uno no se conoce, no se le ocurre nada que decir. Tenía una pinta tímida, el chico, y me gustaba verlo cohibido. Llegamos al bosquecillo. Estaba fresco como un baño, y todo el mundo se sentó en la hierba. Rose y su amigo me gastaban bromas sobre mi aspecto serio; ya comprenderá usted que yo no podía ser de otra manera. Y después volvieron a besarse sin importarles que estuviéramos allí; y después se hablaron en voz baja; y después se levantaron y se metieron entre el follaje sin decir nada. Imagínese el papel tan bobo que yo hacía, frente a aquel mozo a quien veía por primera vez. Me sentí tan confusa al verlos marcharse así que me infundieron valor; y me puse a hablar. Le pregunté qué hacía; era dependiente de una mercería, como le he dicho hace un rato. Charlamos, pues, unos instantes; eso lo envalentonó, y quiso tomarse unas libertades, pero lo puse en su lugar, estuve inflexible. ¿No es cierto, señor Beaurain?»
"Well, it was lovely weather, warm and bright, and it seemed to penetrate your body through your eyes when you looked and through your mouth when you breathed. Rose and Simon hugged and kissed each other every minute, and that gave me a queer feeling! Monsieur Beaurain and I walked behind them, without speaking much, for when people do not know each other, they do not find anything to talk about. He looked timid, and I liked to see his embarrassment. At last we got to the little wood; it was as cool as in a bath there, and we four sat down. Rose and her lover teased me because I looked rather stern, but you will understand that I could not be otherwise. And then they began to kiss and hug again, without putting any more restraint upon themselves than if we had not been there; and then they whispered together, and got up and went off among the trees, without saying a word. You may fancy what I looked like, alone with this young fellow whom I saw for the first time. I felt so confused at seeing them go that it gave me courage, and I began to talk. I asked him what his business was, and he said he was a linen draper's assistant, as I told you just now. We talked for a few minutes, and that made him bold, and he wanted to take liberties with me, but I told him sharply to keep his place. Is not that true, Monsieur Beaurain?"