get away without his bon voyage brought him sharply up in a sitting
position.

He groaned aloud and with both hands clutched temples that promised to
split with pain that crashed between them, stroke upon stroke, like
blows of a mighty hammer.

A neatly fastened bandage held in place, above one ear, a wad of cotton
once saturated with arnica, now dry. Duchemin removed these and with
gingerly fingers explored, discovering a noble swelling on the side of
his head, where the cotton had been placed.

Also, his jaw was stiff, and developed a protesting ache whenever he
opened his mouth.

Then Duchemin remembered ... That is to say, he recalled clearly all
that had led up to that vicious blow from out of the darkness which had
found his jaw with such surprising accuracy; and he was visited by one
or two rather indefinite memories of subsequent events.

He remembered labouring up the stairs, half walking, half supported by
the strong arms of the footman, Jean, who was in shirt, trousers and
slippers only, while in front of them moved the shape of Madame de
Montalais en négligée, carrying a lighted candle and constantly looking
back.

Then he had an impression of being lifted into his bed by Jean, and of
having his head and shoulders raised by the same arms some time later,
so that he might drink a draught of some concoction with a pleasant
aromatic taste and odour, in a glass held to his lips by Eve de