Little Poems in Prose

are poor people who are able to send him nothing. That gave me confidence; after all, I am a beautiful woman, though not too young. I said to him, ‘Come and see me; come and see me often, and do not worry yourself on my ac- count, I have no need of money.’ But you must understand that I made clear to him in a hun- dred different ways. I did not say it to him crudely; I was so afraid of shaming him; I should like him to come and see me with his case of instruments and his apron; even with a little blood on them.” She said that frankly and sensibly, as a man might say to an actress that he loved, “I want to see you in the costume that you wear in that famous rôle which you created.” I persisted; “Can you remember the time and the occasion when this unusual passion was born in you?” With what difficulty did I make her under- stand me; at last I succeeded; but then she answered me very sadly, and even, if my memory serves me, turned away her eyes; “I do not know, I do not remember.” What bizarre things does not one find in a great city when one knows how to walk about and how to look! Life swarms with innocent monsters. Oh Lord my God, Thou Creator, Thou Master, Thou who hast made law and lib-