He said to himself: 'I must have one of these two women'; he realised that he would greatly have preferred to pay his court to Madame Derville; it was not that she was more attractive, but she had seen him always as a tutor honoured for his learning, and not as a working carpenter, with a ratteen jacket folded under his arm, as he had first appeared to Madame de Renal.
Il se disait : il faut que j’aie une de ces deux femmes ; il s’aperçut qu’il aurait beaucoup mieux aimé faire la cour à Mme Derville ; ce n’est pas qu’elle fût plus agréable, mais toujours elle l’avait vu précepteur honoré pour sa science, et non pas ouvrier charpentier, avec une veste de ratine pliée sous le bras, comme il était apparu à Mme de Rênal.