"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 roués, 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."