"As I was saying, he a.s.sured himself with his gla.s.s that she was young, pretty, well built, and not faded. Oh! his gla.s.s is invaluable for that!"

"But the lover?"

"The lover doesn't live with her. He goes very often to see her; but he doesn't sit at the window, naturally; so that Grandmaison has only caught a glimpse of him, for she is careful to leave the window as soon as the young man arrives."

"Well?"

"Well, everything is going as smoothly as possible. Grandmaison took the little one to a closed box at the Opera night before last, the lover being in the country."

At that point, I could no longer control myself, and, entirely unconscious of what I was doing, I struck the table between my neighbor and myself such a violent blow that the cup of chocolate bounded up into his face as he leaned over the table to speak to me. The bulk of the liquid deluged Raymond's waistcoat and shirt frill. He jumped back, startled by the gesture that had escaped me. Ashamed of having allowed my trouble, my wrath, my frenzy, to appear, I tried to recover myself; I composed my features and apologized. Raymond, uncertain whether he could safely approach me, asked for a gla.s.s of water to clean his face.

"Pardon! a thousand pardons! my dear Raymond, I don't know what caught me then.--You were saying that, the day before yesterday----"

"You gave me a terrible fright. Are you subject to nervous spasms?"

"No, no! it was mere absent-mindedness.--You were saying----"

"The devil! you ought to look after that. Thanks to you, I have got to go home to change my waistcoat and shirt."

"Oh! that's nothing.--So, the night before last he took the young woman to a closed box at the Opera, eh?"

"Yes, yes.--Is there any more on my face?"

"None at all; you look splendid. Go on."

This compliment restored Raymond's good humor; he tucked his frill out of sight and resumed the conversation.

"Yes, they were there, in a box----"

"So, it's all over, is it?"

"Oh, no! not yet. The beauty hangs back, you understand, and Grandmaison isn't the man to push matters so fast--with his bad leg, he needs all the conveniences. Oh! if it had been one of us two, that would have been the end; we are sad rascals, you know!"

"But since then?"

"He saw the little one again yesterday morning, outside the walls. He promised to give her a magnificent cashmere shawl, genuine Turkish, to-night, if she'd take supper with him at his house; moreover, a complete apartment, a lady's-maid, a carriage at her service, and a hundred louis a month, to say nothing of presents, if she would agree to stay."

"Well?"

"She has accepted."

"She has accepted!"

I sprang to my feet so suddenly that Raymond recoiled and looked at me uneasily.

"Did it take you again, neighbor?"

"No, nothing's the matter. Let us go out and get a breath of air."

And I took Raymond's arm and led him away. He followed me, making a wry face. Doubtless I pinched his arm without noticing it, for he begged me to let it alone; but I did not hear him.

"My dear Dorsan, your muscles keep contracting; let my arm alone, please."

"Oh! these women! these women! But why do I feel this weight at my heart? for I do not love her."

"Let me go, my friend, I entreat you!"

"Oh! it's because it is cruel to be constantly deceived in this way! to be fooled again and again! and for whom, I ask you?"

"I don't know what you ask me, but let me go; you hurt me; I shall be obliged to call for help."

"But is it really she, after all? I must confound her.--Raymond!"

I turned toward my companion, and not until then did I notice his piteous expression and terrified eyes; I released his arm, and, becoming a little calmer, asked him what the matter was.

"The matter! Faith! you seem to have attacks of brain fever; you squeeze my arm so that you make me yell, and you utter exclamations that I don't understand."

"I was thinking about something that I'll tell you of later. But let us go back to this intrigue of your friend: it interests me very much.

Monsieur de Grandmaison sups to-night with his new conquest?"

"Yes, to-night."

"I am very curious to see this woman who you say is so pretty."

"Faith! so am I, for I don't know her any more than you do, and I am looking forward to seeing her."

"What! you are to see her?"

"Certainly; I am invited to the supper, with five or six agreeable roues, intimate friends of Grandmaison. As he is naturally a little stupid, when he has told a woman that he'd like--you understand--he can't think of anything else to say to her to amuse her; and as he desires to be sparing of his pleasures, because he's not so robust as you and I are, he reserves his ardor for the night; he always invites a number of friends to supper, in order to put his charmer in the right mood."

"A most excellent device, and very pleasant for his guests!"

"You must understand that we always get something out of it. These women, when they have a large stock of susceptibility, are never satisfied with Grandmaison, who's an invalid!"

"I understand: you are his friend and deputy."

"I am whatever anyone wants me to be! Oh! we have great sport at these little supper parties! we laugh like lunatics! The food is delicious and the wines exquisite! no constraint, no ceremony; we joke and sing and drink; and the jests, the puns, the remarks with a double meaning, the spicy anecdotes, the s.m.u.tty couplets! There's a rolling fire of them; everybody talks at once, and n.o.body hears what the others say; it's delicious!"

"You make me regret that I am not one of you."

"Would you like to be, my dear fellow? Parbleu! if you would, I will venture to introduce you."

"Really! could you do it?"

"I can do anything I choose! you know very well that everything succeeds that I undertake."

"I had forgotten that. But this Monsieur de Grandmaison doesn't know me."

"What difference does that make? I know you, and that's enough!