n all three provinces."

Suddenly unmindful of the Morel question, Norbert de Varenne
interrogated him respecting a detail of manners and customs of which he
had been informed by an officer. It was with respect to the Mzab, that
strange little Arab republic sprung up in the midst of the Sahara, in
the driest part of that burning region.

Duroy had twice visited the Mzab, and he narrated some of the customs of
this singular country, where drops of water are valued as gold; where
every inhabitant is bound to discharge all public duties; and where
commercial honesty is carried further than among civilized nations.

He spoke with a certain raciness excited by the wine and the desire to
please, and told regimental yarns, incidents of Arab life and military
adventure. He even hit on some telling phrases to depict these bare and
yellow lands, eternally laid waste by the devouring fire of the sun.

All the women had their eyes turned upon him, and Madame Walter said, in
her deliberate tones: "You could make a charming series of articles out
of your recollections."

Then Walter looked at the young fellow over the glasses of his
spectacles, as was his custom when he wanted to see anyone's face
distinctly. He looked at the dishes underneath them.

Forestier seized the opportunity. "My dear sir, I had already spoken to
you about Monsieur George Duroy, asking you to let me have him for my
assistant in gleaning political topics. Since Marambot left us, I have
no one to send in quest of urgent and confidential information, and the
paper suffers from it."

Daddy Walter became serious, and pushed his spectacles upon his
forehead, in order to look Duroy well in the face. Then he said: "It is
true that Monsieur Duroy has evidently an original turn of thought. If
he will come and have a chat with us to-morrow at three o'clock, we will
settle the matter." Then, after a short silence, turning right round
towards George, he added: "But write us a little fancy series of
articles on Algeria at once. Relate your experiences, and mix up the
colonization question with them as you did just now. They are facts,
genuine facts, and I am sure they will greatly please our readers. But
be quick. I must have the first article to-morrow or the day after,
while the subject is being discussed in the Chamber, in order to catch
the public."

Madame Walter added, with that serious grace which characterized
everything she did, and which lent an air of f