"Yes, he was terribly jealous, but, poor fellow, I forgive him. His terrible death has been a sad blow for me. I see by your face that you don't believe that--no doubt, because you saw me at the show just now in a spring toilet. However, a woman is not obliged to put on a black dress to be deeply afflicted. My heart is in mourning, but I don't deem it necessary to publish my grief." "Oh, I don't presume to criticise you, madame. On the contrary, I bless the chance that brought about a meeting between us, for you have repeatedly refused me an interview." "I treated everyone alike. I even thought strongly of leaving Paris for a few months, but I finally came to the conclusion that absence would not cure my grief, and I summoned up courage to shake off the prostration to which my loss had reduced me." "I trusted that you would at least reply to the letter in which I begged of you to grant me an interview." "You must not be offended with me on account of my failure to do so. I never write to any one. It is against my principles." "But you must break this rule sometimes," said Adhémar, gazing searchingly at the countess. "Not often," was the calm response. "My autograph letters ought to fetch a good price, for there are certainly very few of them." "It would, doubtless, surprise you very much if I told you that I have one in my possession." "Indeed! I should really like to see it." "Well, I regret that I haven't got it with me. I should add, however, that it is a very unimportant document; the telegraphic note you sent to Pierre at the Lion d'Or." "Yes! I recollect that. But I cannot imagine how you came by it." "Poor Dargental was dead when it was delivered. We were ignorant of the fact, and were breakfasting without him, at the time, and Charles Balmer, who was one of the guests, took the liberty to open the message and show it to us." "That doesn't surprise me. Monsieur Balmer is always doing something stupid. But I am surprised you kept it." "I meant to hand it to Dargental as soon as the lunch was over. But, alas! I arrived at his place too late." "Yes," murmured Madame de Lescombat. "I know the terrible story." "I should have returned the note to you if I had been able to see you, and I will return it now whenever you like, but I have read and re-read it many times, and I now know your writing as well as if I had received hundreds of letters from you." "And what do you think of the contents of this famous missive?" "I think you were most kind and indulgent as regards poor Pierre in letting him invite to that lunch--" "Some of his old flames. Well, I felt tolerably sure of him, but in my secret heart I was a trifle anxious, as you may judge from the fact that I begged him to come and see me as soon as the repast was over. How many ladies were present?" "Only one, Blanche Pornic."