He went and shook hands with a lady who was passing and smiled grimacingly. Then he came back. He explained that the lady was a writer famous for her voluptuous and passionate novels. The modern Sappho had a purple ribbon on her bosom, a full figure, bright golden hair round a painted face; she made a few pretentious remarks in a mannish fashion with the accent of Franche-Comté. Kohn plied Christophe with questions. He asked about all the people at home, and what had become of so-and-so, pluming himself on the fact that he remembered everybody. Christophe had forgotten his antipathy; he replied cordially and gratefully, giving a mass of detail about which Kohn cared nothing at all, and presently he broke off again. "Excuse me," he said. And he went to greet another lady who had come in. "Dear me!" said Christophe. "Are there only women writers in France?" Kohn began to laugh, and said fatuously: "France is a woman, my dear fellow. If you want to succeed, make up to the women." Christophe did not listen to the explanation, and went on with his own story. To put a stop to it, Kohn asked: "But how the devil do you come here?" "Ah!" thought Christophe, "he doesn't know. That is why he was so amiable. He'll be different when he knows." He made it a point of honor to tell everything against himself: the brawl with the soldiers, the warrant out against him, his flight from the country. Kohn rocked with laughter. "Bravo!" he cried. "Bravo! That's a good story!" He shook Christophe's hand warmly. He was delighted by any smack in the eye of authority: and the story tickled him the more as he knew the heroes of it: he saw the funny side of it. "I say," he said, "it is past twelve. Will you give me the pleasure ...? Lunch with me?" Christophe accepted gratefully. He thought: "This is a good fellow--decidedly a good fellow. I was mistaken." They went out together. On the way Christophe put forward his request: "You see how I am placed. I came here to look for work--music lessons--until I can make my name. Could you speak for me?" "Certainly," said Kohn. "To any one you like. I know everybody here. I'm at your service." He was glad to be able to show how important he was. Christophe covered him with expressions of gratitude. He felt that he was relieved of a great weight of anxiety.