When Mr. P. grasped my hand passionately, but without paying the least attention to his daughter, and had resumed his walk, I do not know which of the three of us was the most pleased. It was evident that Mr. P. couldn’t hide his happiness in front of us, as neither could we hide ours from him. For not only did he triple the speed of his step, but he let the ash from the end of his cigar fall off and he drew on it very strongly, and although it wasn’t yet dark, we could distinguish the burning end of his cigar from quite a distance, like seeing the lamp on an approaching steam locomotive.
Másinga was sitting near me, silent now, and my happiness was complete. The only thing that worried me was her father’s great indifference towards her and her manner, which seemingly implied that he did
