“Yes, if there is any.” I left the salon and walked into the bedroom. I saw Montdidier talking with several men. I could detect nothing unusual in his face, but he was talking earnestly. I drew near with apparent indifference. Indeed, I was at liberty to listen with the rest; there was no secrecy about it. “Yes, messieurs,” said Montdidier, “I arrived just as the cab tipped over. My wife was coming from her aunt’s and was on her way here. But the one who had the worst fright of all was poor Bélan. He was passing the cab, so it seems, when the hind wheel came off; when he saw the cab toppling over in his direction, he thought that he was a dead man; and as the window in the door was open, he jumped through into the cab in order not to be crushed. He is very small, you know. My wife told me that he came in as nimbly as a monkey. Then, finding that the cab didn’t move, he opened the door and escaped. My wife is convinced that, in his excitement, he did not recognize her; and that is probably true, or else he would at least have offered his hand to help her out of the cab. Ha! ha! ha! ha! Poor Bélan! I will have a good laugh at him when I see him!” And Monsieur Montdidier began to laugh again, as did his auditors; I followed their example with all my heart; in fact, I was the one to laugh the most heartily. And so Montdidier, seeing how greatly amused I was, came to me and put his hand on my shoulder, saying: “Did you hear about my wife’s adventure?” “Yes.” “And her meeting with Bélan? Wasn’t it most amusing?” “Exceedingly amusing!” “I would give a napoleon if Bélan would come here this evening, so that I could have a little fun at his expense.” I made no reply, but I disappeared in the crowd in order to obtain for that unfortunate husband the pleasure that he desired. It seemed to me no more than fair that he should have a little pleasure. I left the house unnoticed. I hastened to the café where the anxious lover awaited me; I found him before his third glass of sugar and water, pale and disturbed, drawing no good augury from my long absence. I made haste to reassure him, and told him laughingly what I had learned. While I was speaking, Bélan’s features recovered all their serenity. Before I had finished he was leaning over the table and holding his sides with laughter. “This is charming! It is delicious! That will do, Blémont, that will do. I shall die with laughter.--So I jumped in through the window! Oh! these women! They have ideas, inventions for every emergency! I was a fool to be worried.” “That is what I told you a little while ago, but then you were not in a condition to listen to me.” “Yes, I admit, I was in torment--not for myself, but for her. But it is all right; let’s not think any more about it, except to laugh at it. Waiter, take out the price of three glasses of water. I can’t be at Giraud’s soon enough. Is it a brilliant affair? Are there many people there?”