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She nodded to htly from the wet pavement and walked away

‘Don’t look at o

‘I like it,’ he said, lighting a cigarette and looking ridiculously pleased with hi colour’

Édouard saw a o, walked into the Bar Tripoli and stood at the counter for a fewMonsieur Dinan at his usual spot in the corner I asked for a glass of water, and drank it, exchanging a feords with the bar ister who I was I suspected it was only ave me away ‘Ah Made, is it not? Is Édouard well?’

‘He is perfectly fine, Monsieur, thank you But I wonder if I lanced around the table The woave hi to his companion to notice ‘I do not believe I have any private matters to discuss with you Mademoiselle’ He looked at his female companion as he spoke

‘As you wish, Monsieur Then we shall discuss it here It is a si Édouard sold you a particularly fine work in oil pastels – The Market at Grenouille – for which you promised hied if you could settle the sum now’

The convivial expression disappeared ‘You are his debt collector?’

‘I believe that description is a little strong, Monsieur I a Édouard’s finances And this particular bill is, I believe, so to discuss financial h dudgeon

But I had half expected this ‘Then I’m afraid, Monsieur, that I will be forced to stand here until you are ready to discuss it’

All pairs of eyes around the little table had now landed on me, but I did not so rown up in a bar in St Peronne; I had helped e of twelve, had cleaned the gentlemen’s WC, had heard talk so bawdy it would have irl blush Monsieur Dinan’s theatrical disapproval held no terrors for , then For I do not have such a su at the bar for some time before I came over And I could not help but notice that your wallet was an to laugh ‘I think she has the e him

‘Who are you? Who are you to e He understands the nature of a gentleauchely, de a man in front of his friends’ He squinted at irl Édouard’s little shop girl from La Femme Marché How could you possibly understand the ways of Édouard’s circle? You are …’ he sneered ‘… provincial’

He had known that would hurt I felt the colour rising slowly from my chest ‘I am indeed, Monsieur, if it is now a provincial concern to eat And even a shop girl can see when Édouard’s friends have taken advantage of his generous nature’