Produced by Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images available at The Internet Archive) [Illustration: frontispiece (Copyright 1903 by G. Barrie & Sons)] _DUPONT'S DISCOMFITURE_ _As she spoke, Georgette found a way to let the skirt fall at her feet. She jumped over it, ran to where her shawl and bonnet were hanging, and left the room before Dupont, who still held the striped skirt in his hand, had recovered from his astonishment_. NOVELS BY Paul de Kock VOLUME VI FRÉDÉRIQUE VOL. II THE GIRL WITH THREE PETTICOATS [Illustration: colophon PRINTED BY ARRANGEMENT WITH GEORGE BARRIE'S SONS] THE JEFFERSON PRESS BOSTON NEW YORK _Copyrighted, 1903-1904, by G. B. & Sons_. FRÉDÉRIQUE [CONTINUED] XXXIII ROSETTE THE BRUNETTE XXXIV--THE UMBRELLAS.--THE POLKA XXXV--A HIGH LIVER XXXVI--A SCENE XXXVII--ROSETTE'S SEVEN AUNTS XXXVIII--THE DEALER IN SPONGES XXXIX--A PARTY OF FOUR XL--A SICK CHILD XLI--THE REWARD OF WELLDOING XLII--A CONSOLATION XLIII--CONJECTURES XLIV--LOVE ON ALL SIDES XLV--SECOND-SIGHT IN WOMEN XLVI--FONTENAY-SOUS-BOIS XLVII--THE NEIGHBOR XLVIII--AT THE OPÉRA XLIX--A DOUBLE DUEL-- L--A PRESENTATION THE GIRL WITH THREE PETTICOATS I--THE DANGER OF SLEEPING TOO MUCH II--HOW DUPONT AMUSED HIMSELF AT THE BALL-- III--MADEMOISELLE GEORGETTE IV--YOUNG COLINET V--AN INGENUOUS YOUTH VI--A PRIVATE DINING-ROOM VII--THE SECOND PETTICOAT VIII--A GENTLEMAN WHO DID NOT RUIN HIMSELF FOR WOMEN IX--THE LITTLE BLACK SKIRT DOES ITS WORK X--A BOX OF CANDIED FRUIT XI--DECLARATION AND OBSTINACY XII--LOVE! LOVE! WHEN THOU HAST TAKEN US CAPTIVE! XIII--A BROOCH XIV--COLINET'S SECOND VISIT XV--A DAINTY BREAKFAST XVI--TWELVE THOUSAND FRANCS XVII--A PARCEL-- XVIII--A BLASÉ YOUNG MAN XIX--THE VISCOUNT'S FRIENDS XX--THE THIRD PETTICOAT XXI--AN ATTACK XXII--TERTIA SOLVET XXIII--THE GENTLEMEN WITH THE THREE PETTICOATS XXIV--THE MOTIVE XXXIII ROSETTE THE BRUNETTE I was conscious of a secret feeling of satisfaction, which I attributed to my reconciliation with Frédérique. I was pleased to have her for a friend; there was something unique, something that appealed strongly to me, in that friendship between a man of thirty and a woman of twenty-seven; and I promised myself that I would not again so conduct myself as to break off the connection.