He then decided that the long walk on an empty stomach—which too light a breakfast had not made up for afterward—also contributed something to this feeling. To be in a position to think to advantage about the commissioner’s remarks and to put his own ideas in order, Wallas has decided it would be a good idea to eat a heavier meal. So he has gone into a restaurant he had noticed an hour before, where he has eaten with a good appetite two eggs and some ham with toast. At the same time, he has had the waitress explain the most convenient way to get to the Rue de Corinthe. Passing once more in front of the statue that decorates the Place de la Préfecture, he has approached it to read, on the west side of the pedestal, the inscription carved in the stone: “The Chariot of State—V. Daulis, sculptor.” He has found the clinic easily, but Doctor Juard has just left. The reception nurse has asked him the purpose of his visit; he has answered that he preferred to speak to the doctor in person; she has then asked him if he wished to speak with Madame Juard who—she said—was also a doctor and, besides, was in charge of the clinic.
