"Please don't talk any more about it," he replied, uneasily; "forget
that I mentioned it to you; leave me alone. But, you know, I have no
intention of letting you go; you must come and dine at my house."

A sudden fancy took me to see for myself how matters stood, so that I
might understand all about it, and I accepted.

His wife received me in a most charming manner, and she was, as a matter
of fact, a most attractive woman. Her long hands, her neck and cheeks
were beautifully white and delicate, and marked her breeding, and her
walk was undulating and delightful.

Rene gave her a brotherly kiss on the forehead and said:

"Has not Lucien come yet?"

"Not yet," she replied, in a clear, soft voice; "you know he is almost
always rather late."

At that moment the bell rang, and a tall man was shown in. He was dark,
with a thick beard, and looked like a modern Hercules. We were
introduced to each other; his name was Lucien Delabarre.

Rene and he shook hands in a most friendly manner, and then we went to
dinner.

It was a most enjoyable meal, without the least constraint. My old
friend spoke with me constantly, in the old familiar cordial manner,
just as he used to do. It was: "You know, old fellow!"--"I say, old
fellow!"--"Just listen a moment, old fellow!" Suddenly he exclaimed:

"You don't know how glad I am to see you again; it takes me back to old
times."

I looked at his wife and the other man. Their attitude was perfectly
correct, though I fancied once or twice that they exchanged a rapid and
furtive look.

As soon as dinner was over Rene turned to his wife, and said:

"My dear, I have just met Pierre again, and I am going to carry him off
for a walk and a chat along the boulevards to remind us of old times. I
am leaving you in very good company."

The young woman smiled, and said to me, as she shook hands with me:

"Don't keep him too long."

As we went along, arm-in-arm, I could not help saying to him, for I was
determined to know how matters stood:

"I say, what has happened? Do tell me!"

He, however, interrupted me roughly, and answered like a man who has
been disturbed without any reason.

"Just look here, old fellow leave one alone with your questions."

Then he added, half aloud, as if talking to himself:

"After all, it would have been too stupid to have let oneself go to pot
like that."

I did not press him. We walked on quickly and began to talk. All of a
sudden he whispered i