132 8 Les Miserables
articles being moved was audible.
She smoothed her hair with the palm of her hand, and
smiled into the mirror, humming with her cracked and
sepulchral voice:—Nos amours ont dure toute une semaine,
Mais que du bonheur les instants sont courts!
S’adorer huit jours, c’ etait bien la peine!
Le temps des amours devait durer toujours!
Devrait durer toujours! devrait durer toujours!Our love has lasted a whole week, but how short are the
instants of happiness! To adore each other for eight days was
hardly worth the while! The time of love should last forever.In the meantime, Marius trembled. It seemed impossible
to him that she should not hear his breathing.
She stepped to the window and looked out with the half-
foolish way she had.
‘How ugly Paris is when it has put on a white chemise!’
said she.
She returned to the mirror and began again to put on
airs before it, scrutinizing herself full-face and three-quar-
ters face in turn.
‘Well!’ cried her father, ‘what are you about there?’
‘I am looking under the bed and the furniture,’ she re-
plied, continuing to arrange her hair; ‘there’s no one here.’
‘Booby!’ yelled her father. ‘Come here this minute! And
don’t waste any time about it!’