"Equatorial Africa." "You know that it is terribly unhealthy? You may lose your skin there. Pardon the expression, it is proverbial." "And it is true," replied the young painter. "But we have just come to the conclusion, I think, that in Paris it is possible, under certain conditions, and with certain proclivities, to lose one's honour." M. Delange took the hint, and hastened to say— "The unhealthiness of Africa does not alarm me as far as I myself am concerned. I spoke solely in your interest; I am a doctor, and so free from all fear of diseases." "Then, speaking generally, you will not raise any serious objections to accompany my friends and me?" "Certainly not, if you require me so to do. In what capacity shall I join you?" "As our medical adviser, and _savant_ generally to the expedition." "But how am I to make money by it?" asked the Doctor. "Do you imagine that I shall secure a large practice amongst the tribes of Africa, forsooth? I shall return to Paris perhaps in a year, more probably not for several, quite forgotten, and without having discharged my gambling debt to you." "First of all, I want you to understand that the all-important point is to wean you from your evil habits of play—that is essential. Secondly, you will very probably get rid of your liability to me." "I do not understand you. Do you offer me ninety thousand francs to accompany you?" "I offer you nothing of the sort. The sum you mention is either too much or too little. Our mutual position in society precludes me from offering you a salary, and you from accepting such an offer. But," added M. de Morin, after a long pull at his cigar, "I can give you your revenge for the day before yesterday." "My revenge!" exclaimed the Doctor, whose face lighted up in a moment. "You will promise to give me my revenge?" "Why not? "Then I may win back my losses? I may—" "You may free yourself from your liabilities to me, and still not go to Africa? That is your meaning, as I take it." "I assure you—" "Confess," continued M. de Morin, without paying the slightest attention to the interruption, "that if I were to offer you such an opportunity, I should be an egregious ass. What? You owe me already a sum which you cannot pay, and I am to enter into an engagement to commence afresh, perhaps to increase the amount, which would be futile, or possibly to lose it, which would be idiotic, for you might very well end some day in getting back all your losses?" "Why, then, did you say anything about my having my revenge?" "Your revenge under certain conditions." "Will you kindly explain them to me?" "That is exactly what I want to do. But it is nearly noon, so let us go to breakfast, and we will discuss it and my ideas together." An hour later MM. de Morin and Delange, seated face to face in a private room at Bignon's, called for their coffee and writing materials together, and drew up the following contract, on which, after a lengthy discussion, they had agreed.