human
Good-morning, messieurs, good-morning! he said, with a joyous intonation in his voice.
gpt
I am the last to come, but you will forgive me when you know what has detained me.
human
How are you, Lucien? This much we see already, with the greatest pleasure--that your position has changed for the better; for you seem perfectly content; we can read that in your face.
gpt
And why should I not be, messieurs! I am going to marry the woman I love. In a week, Juliette will be my wife. Monsieur Mirotaine has consented at last to call me his son-in-law. My dearest wish is fulfilled.
human
How did you succeed in gaining your end? Tell us about it.
gpt
By hard work and perseverance; my pins were a success, and I was making money; I invented something else, so that I made still more, and I succeeded in extending my business. But how was I to let Monsieur Mirotaine know that, when he had forbidden me to go to his house? That was the difficulty; it was absolutely necessary that I should see Juliette, in order to tell her all that I was doing; it was necessary to have a definite understanding with her, and to give her precise details concerning my position and prospects, so that she could say to her father: 'You can go to this place and that place, and there you will learn where Lucien stands.'--Luckily, Juliette has a friend, who came to our assistance. This friend obtained permission quite often to take Juliette out with her, sometimes to bathe, sometimes to go shopping; but, as a matter of fact, the two ladies would meet me at the Jardin des Plantes; there I could arrange with Juliette what she was to say to her father about my position.
human
At the Jardin des Plantes! interposed Adhémar;
gpt
To be sure. And one day, when I had some very good news to tell Juliette,--I wanted to tell her that I had succeeded in a new business undertaking,--as she was not very well, her friend, Madame Dermont, was kind enough to come alone to our usual place of meeting. I told her that I had succeeded, and she lost no time in going to tell Juliette the good news; and it was then that Monsieur Mirotaine, convinced at last that we were not imposing on him and that I really was able to earn money, opened his house to me again, and consented to give me his daughter's hand.