Had he any relations or
friends? That she did not know, she had never seen or heard of
any, but she did not wonder at that--they did well to keep
clear of him, a bad man, who had broken more hearts than his
wife's, she would answer for it. For the rest, she knew little
about him, she added, with a sudden fit of professional
reticence, induced by the recollection that it might be as
well not to gossip too much about the affairs of her
_clientele;_ he came and went, paid his bill regularly enough,
generally seemed to have money at his command, and of course
it was not for her to inquire how he got it, though she might
have her suspicions. What was to become of his little girl in
case of his death? Madame had never thought of that: did
Monsieur think he was going to die? In that case how much
better to have taken him to the hospital; a death in the house
was always so inconvenient and disagreeable--not that she had
grudged it to that _pauvre_ Madame Linders, but this was a
different thing altogether; would he certainly die? Monsieur
said he did not know, one must always hope, but the case was a
grave one, and seeing that Madame could give him no help he
left her.
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