A woman on the other side of Emilie rose. She was small and very old and she seemed to stumble a little so that instinctively Mistral put out a hand to help her.
Thank you, my dear, you are very kind,’ she said, speaking French with a foreign accent. ‘Let me take your arm – I would be grateful if you will help me to the door. It is difficult for me to see.’
Mistral offered her arm and, as she did so, she was aware that the little woman was almost blinded by the tears in her eyes.
‘Oh, you are unhappy!’ Mistral exclaimed.
‘Yes, I am unhappy,’ the woman answered, ‘because I have lost! I have lost all my money! Always it is the same, I lose, yes, lose everything.’
But that is terrible,’ Mistral said. ‘What will you do?’ ‘I will go home, my dear. You are kind to help me.’
The tone of the
