cried the little clerk, "who will bet an evening at the play
that Colonel Chabert is a General, and wears a red ribbon?"

"The chief is a great magician," said Godeschal.

"Then there is no trick to play on him this time?" asked Desroches.

"His wife has taken that in hand, the Comtesse Ferraud," said Boucard.

"What next?" said Godeschal. "Is Comtesse Ferraud required to belong to
two men?"

"Here she is," answered Simonnin.

"So you are not deaf, you young rogue!" said Chabert, taking the
gutter-jumper by the ear and twisting it, to the delight of the other
clerks, who began to laugh, looking at the Colonel with the curious
attention due to so singular a personage.

Comte Chabert was in Derville's private room at the moment when his wife
came in by the door of the office.

"I say, Boucard, there is going to be a queer scene in the chief's room!
There is a woman who can spend her days alternately, the odd with Comte
Ferraud, and the even with Comte Chabert."

"And in leap year," said Godeschal, "they must settle the _count_
between them."

"Silence, gentlemen, you can be heard!" said Boucard severely. "I never
was in an office where there was so much jesting as there is here over
the clients."

Derville had made the Colonel retire to the bedroom when the Countess
was admitted.

"Madame," he said, "not knowing whether it would be agreeable to you
to meet M. le Comte Chabert, I have placed you apart. If, however, you
should wish it--"

"It is an attention for which I am obliged to you."

"I have drawn up the memorandum of an agreement of which you and M.
Chabert can discuss the conditions, here, and now. I will go alternately
to him and to you, and explain your views respectively."

"Let me see, monsieur," said the Countess impatiently.

Derville read aloud:

"'Between the undersigned:

"'M. Hyacinthe Chabert, Count, Marechal de Camp, and Grand Officer of
the Legion of Honor, living in Paris, Rue du Petit-Banquier, on the one
part;

"'And Madame Rose Chapotel, wife of the aforesaid M. le Comte Chabert,
_nee_--'"

"Pass over the preliminaries," said she. "Come to the conditions."

"Madame," said the lawyer, "the preamble briefly sets forth the position
in which you stand to each other. Then, by the first clause, you
acknowledge, in the presence of three witnesses, of whom two shall be
notaries, and one the dairyman with whom your husband has been lodging,
to all of whom your secret is known, a