She then struck a match,
which made me think that she was lighting one of the candles on the
mantelpiece and placing it near me as a religious rite. I could follow
her movements in the room and divine all her actions.
"Poor gentleman," she muttered. "Luckily I heard you sobbing, poor
dear!" Suddenly the vague light which my left eye had detected vanished.
Mme Gabin had just closed my eyelids, but I had not felt her finger on
my face. When I understood this I felt chilled.
The door had opened again, and Dede, the child of ten, now rushed in,
calling out in her shrill voice: "Mother, Mother! Ah, I knew you would
be here! Look here, there's the money--three francs and four sous. I
took back three dozen lamp shades."
"Hush, hush! Hold your tongue," vainly repeated the mother, who, as the
little girl chattered on, must have pointed to the bed, for I guessed
that the child felt perplexed and was backing toward the door.
"Is the gentleman asleep?" she whispered.
"Yes, yes--go and play," said Mme Gabin.
But the child did not go. She was, no doubt, staring at me with widely
opened eyes, startled and vaguely comprehending. Suddenly she seemed
convulsed with terror and ran out, upsetting a chair.
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