Molan had watched this strange girl’s face while she talked. Suspicious though he was, that being the punishment of men who have lied to women too often, he realized that Camille was speaking the truth. Then he made a generous movement, his first. If he is an egoist, comedian, and a knave, he does not lack courage. He has several times, because of slanderous articles, fought very unnecessarily and very bravely. Perhaps too, for the idea of playing to the gallery is never absent from certain minds even in solemn moments, he was thinking of the report of the drama, if drama there was, which the newspapers would publish far and wide. A few words he said to me later make one think so: “You must admit that I missed a magnificent advertisement!” But who can tell what the thought at the back of his head was, and perhaps after all those words were only the after-thought of a man of his kind to conceal his rare natural outbursts. Still, adjusting his jacket and taking his hat from a peg in the anteroom, he answered in a loud voice— “I believe you and thank you. It is enough. I know now what I have to do.” “Do you mean to go down?” she said. “You are going to meet danger? Will that save you, answer me, when you go and ask that man—what? What he is doing there? It would be sacrificing this woman, and you have no right to do so. If Bonnivet himself followed you, he saw a woman enter. If he had you followed, he knows that a woman is here. He must see a woman leave with you in a cab and conceal herself. He must follow the cab and leave this street clear for her to escape during that time. Ah, well! you must go out with me. There is a cab waiting. I have had it fetched. We will get into it; do not refuse and do not argue. Bonnivet will see us do so and will follow us in his carriage. He will expect to surprise you with her; he will surprise you with me, and you will be saved.” She took him in her arms unconsciously, then pushed him violently away from her and went on in a low voice: “We are almost the same height, go and ask for her cloak. She will take mine and go five minutes after us, after she has seen her husband’s carriage go. Wish her good-bye, and be sure she does not come to thank me. If I saw her I might not be able to control myself.”