IntheseconclusionsGodfreywasstrengthenedbytwocircumstances；
　　first，hisreading，especiallyofBuddhisticliterature，thatenjoinsthemsostrongly，andinwhichhefoundagreatdealtoadmire，andsecondly，bytheentireconcurrenceofthePasteurBoiset，whomheadmiredevenmorethanhedidBuddhisticliterature。
　　“Iamdelighted，myyoungfriend，“saidthePasteur，beamingathimthroughthebluespectacles，“tofindsomeonewhoagreeswithme。
　　Personally，althoughyoumightnotbelieveit，Ilovethechasewithardour；whenIwasyoungIhaveshotasmanyastwenty-five——no——
　　twenty-sevenblackbirdsandthrushesinoneday，tosaynothingofthirty-onelarks，andsomeothersmallgame。Also，onceIwoundedachamois，whichaboldhunterwithmekilled。Itwasagloriousmoment。
　　Butnow，forthereasonsthatyoumention，Ihavegivenupallthissport，whichformerlytomewassogreatanexcitementandrelaxation。
　　YetIadmitthatIstillfish。OnlylastyearIcaughtalargehatfulofperchanddace，ofwhichIpersuadedMadametocooksomethatJuliettewouldnoteatandgavetothecat。Once，too，therewasabigtroutintheLakeLucerne。Hebrokemyline，but，myboy，wewillgotofishforthattrout。Nodoubtheisstillthere，forthoughIwasthenyoung，thesefishycreaturesliveformanyyears，andtocatchhimwouldbeaglory。“
　　AfterGodfreyhadgivenuphisfox-shooting，notbecauseinitselfisaterriblecrime，likefishingforsalmonwithherringroe，butforreasonswhichmostofhiscountrymenwouldconsidereffeminateandabsurd，hetooktomakingexpeditions，stillincompanywithJuliette，forMadamestretchedContinentalconventionsinhiscase，insearchofcertainrareflowerswhichgrewuponthelowerslopesoftheseAlps。
　　Inconnectionwithoneoftheseflowersanincidentoccurred，ratherabsurdinitself，butwhichwasnotwithouteffectuponhisfortunes。
　　Thesearchforacertainfloraltreasurewaslongandarduous。
　　“IfonlyIcouldfindthatlovelywhitebloom，“exclaimedJulietteinexasperationatthecloseofawearyhourofclimbing，“why，Iwouldkissit。“
　　“SowouldI，“saidGodfrey，moppinghimselfwithapockethandkerchief，forthesunwashot，“andwithpleasure。“
　　“Hiddenflower，“invokedJuliettewithappropriateheroicgestures，“white，secret，maidenflower，hearus!Discoverthyself，Oshrinkingflower，andthoushaltbekissedbytheonethatfirstfindsthee。“
　　“Idon’tknowthattheflowerwouldcareforthat，“remarkedGodfrey，astheyrenewedtheirquest。
　　Atlengthbehindajuttingmassofrock，inaminiaturevalley，notmorethanafewyardswidethatwasbackedbyotherrocks，thisflowerwasfound。GodfreyandJuliette，passingroundeithersideoftheblack，projectingmasstotheopeningofthetoyvalebeyond，discovereditsimultaneously。Thereitstood，onelovely，lily-likebloomgrowingalone，virginal，perfect。Withacryofdelighttheysprangatit，andpluckeditfromitsroot，bothofthemgraspingthetallstem。
　　“Isawitfirst，andIwillkissit!“criedJuliette，“intokenofpossession。“
　　“No，“saidGodfrey，“Idid，andIwill。Iwantthatflowerformycollection。“
　　“SodoI，formine，“answeredJuliette。
　　Thentheybothtriedtosetthissealofpossessionuponthatlilybloom，withthestrangeresultthattheiryounglipsmetthroughitsfragilesubstanceandwithsomuchenergythatitwascrushedandruined。
　　“Oh!“saidGodfreywithastart，“lookwhatyouhavedonetotheflower。“
　　“I!I，wickedone!Well，forthematterofthat，lookwhatyouhavedonetomylips。Theyfeelquitebruised。“
　　Thenfirstshelaughed，andnextlookedasthoughsheweregoingtocry。
　　“Don’tbesad，“saidGodfreyremorsefully。“Nodoubtweshallfindanother，nowthatweknowwheretheyare。“
　　“Perhaps，“sheanswered，“butitisalwaysthefirstthatoneremembers，anditisfinished，“andshethrewdownthestalkandstampedonit。
　　Justthentheyheardasoundoflaughter，andlookingup，totheirhorrorperceivedthattheywerenotalone。Forthere，seateduponstonesattheendofthetinyvalley，incomposedandcomfortableattitudes，whichsuggestedthattheyhadnotarrivedthatmoment，weretwogentlemen，whoappearedtobehighlyamused。
　　Godfreyknewthematonce，althoughhehadnotseenthemsincethepreviousautumn。TheywereBrotherJosiahSmith，thespiritualist，andProfessorPetersen，theinvestigatingDane，whomheusedtomeetattheséancesintheVillaOgilvy。
　　“Iguess，youngBrotherKnight，“saidtheformer，hiseyessparklingwithsarcasticmerriment，“thatthereisnopaintonyou。Whenyoufindaflower，youknowhowtoturnittothebestpossibleuse。“
　　“Thesubstanceofflowersisfragile，especiallyifofthelilytribe，andimpedesnothing，“remarkedthelearnedDaneinconsideredtones，thoughwhathemeantGodfreydidnotunderstandatthemoment。Onconsiderationheunderstoodwellenough。
　　“Ourmutualfriend，MadameRiennes，whoisabsentinItaly，willbegreatlyamusedwhenshehearsofthisepisode，“saidBrotherSmith。
　　“Sheisindeedaremarkablewoman，foronlythismorningIreceivedaletterinwhichsheinformedmethatverysoonIshouldmeetyou，youngman，underpeculiarcircumstances，howpeculiarshedidnotadd。
　　Well，Icongratulateyouandtheyounglady。Iassureyou，youmadequiteaprettypicturewithnothingbutthatflowerbetweenyou，though，Iadmit，itwasroughontheflower。IfIrememberrightyouarefondoftheclassics，asIam，andwillrecalltomindaGreekpoetnamedTheocritus。Ithink，hadhebeenwanderinghereintheAlpsto-day，hewouldhavelikedtowriteoneofhisidyllsaboutyoutwoandthatflower。“
　　“Becauseoftheinterruptiongivepardon，foritisowedanapology，“
　　saidthesolemnProfessor，adding，“IthinkitmusthavebeentheemanationofMadameRiennesherselfwhichledustothisplace，wherewedidnotatallmeantocome，forsheisveryanxioustoknowhowyouprogressandwhatyouaredoing。“
　　“Yes，youngfriend，“brokeinBrotherSmith，notwithoutatouchofmalice，forliketheresthewasresentfulofGodfrey’sdesertionoftheir“circle，““andnowweshallbeabletotellher。“
　　“Saythen，“saidJuliette，“whoarethesegentlemen，andofwhatdotheytalk？“
　　“They——are——friendsofmine，“Godfreybegantoexplainwithawkwardhesitation，butshecuthimshortwith：
　　“Ilikenotyourfriends。Theymakeamockofme，andIwillneverforgiveyou。“
　　“ButJuliette，I——“hebegan，andgotnofurther，forsheturnedandranaway。Anxioustoexplain，heranafterher，pursuedbytheloudhilarityoftheintrudingpair。Invain，forJuliettewassingularlyswiftoffoot，andhemightaswellhavepursuedAtalanta。
　　ShereachedtheMaisonBlanche，whichfortunatelywasempty，acleartenyardsaheadofhim，andshutherselfinherroom，whence，declaringthatshehadaheadache，shedidnotemergetillthefollowingmorning。
　　Godfreydepartedtotheobservatorywhereheoftenworkedinsummer，feelingverysoreandfullofreflections。HehadnotreallymeanttokissJuliette，atleasthethoughtnot，anditwasunthinkablethatshemeanttokisshim，since，sofarashewasaware，noyoungwomaneverwantedtodosuchathing，being，everyoneofthem，doubtless，asunapproachableandfrigidasthetopmost，snowypeakoftheAlps。
　　Suchwas，andalwaysremainedhisattitude，wheretheothersexwasconcerned，onenotwithoutinconvenienceinapracticalworldofdisillusions。No，itwasthatconfoundedflowerwhichbroughtaboutthispureaccident——asthoughNature，whichdesignssuchaccidents，hadnotalwaysaflower，orsomethingequallyserviceable，uphersleeve。
　　Moreover，haditnotbeenforthataccursedpair，sent，doubtless，tospyonhimbyMadameRiennes，theaccidentwouldneverhavemattered；
　　atleastnotmuch。HecouldhaveapologizedsuitablytoJuliette，thatis，ifshewantedanapology，whichsheshowednosignsofdoinguntilshesawthetwomen。Indeed，atthemoment，hethoughtthatsheseemedratheramused。
　　HethoughtofsearchingoutBrotherSmithandProfessorPetersen，andexplainingtothemexactlywhathadhappenedinfulldetail，andshouldtheystillcontinuetheirribaldjests，ofpunchingtheirheads，whichasamanlyyoungfellow，hewasquitecapableofdoing。
　　Reflectionshowedhim，however，thatthiscoursemightnotbewise，sincesuchadventuresareapttoendinthepolice-court，wheretheflower，anditsfruit，wouldobtainunduepublicity。No，hemustleavethebusinessalone，andtrustthatJuliettewouldbemerciful。
　　SupposingthatsheweretotellMadamethathehadtriedtokissher，thoughprobablyshewould/not/mentionthathehadactuallysucceeded!
　　Themereideamadehimfeelcolddowntheback。HefeltsurethatMadamewouldbelievetheworstofhim；tojudgefromtheirconversations，ladies，goodastheyallwere，invariablydidseemtobelievetheworstinsuchaffairs。ShouldhethrowhimselfuponthemercyofthePasteur？Again，no。Itwouldbesohardtomakehimcomprehend。Also，ifhedid，hemightsuggestthatthealtarwastheonlypossibleexpiation。And——and，oh!hemustconfessit，shewasveryniceandsweet，buthedid/not/wishtomarryJulietteandlivewithherallhislife。
　　No，therewasbutonethingtobedone：keeptheburdenofhissecretlockedinhisownbreast，though，unfortunately，itwaslockedaswellinthoseofJulietteandoftwouninvitedobservers，andprobablywouldsoonalsobelockedinthecapaciousbosomofMadameRiennes。
　　Fortherest，towardsJulietteinthefuture，hewouldobserveanattitudeofstrictestpropriety；nevermoreshouldshehaveoccasiontocomplainofhisconduct，whichhenceforthwouldbeimmaculate。
　　Alas!howeasyitisforthemostinnocenttobemisjudged，andapparently，notwithoutreason。