assume a deprecating equality.

"Where are you going to-night?" he asked, with sudden effusiveness. I
was taken aback. One is not used to being asked these questions after
five minutes' acquaintance. I said that I had no plans.

"Look here," he said, brightening up, "come and have dinner with me at
Breguet's, and look in at the Opera afterward. We'll have a real nice
chat."

I was too tired to frame an adequate excuse. Besides, the little man was
as eager as a child for a new toy. We went to Breguet's and had a really
excellent dinner.

"Always come here," he said; "one meets a lot of swells. It runs away
with a deal of money--but I don't care to do things on the cheap, not
for the _Hour_, you know. You can always be certain when I say that I
have a thing from a senator that he is a senator, and not an old woman
in a paper kiosque. Most of them do that sort of thing, you know."

"I always wondered," I said, mildly.

"That's de Sourdam I nodded to as we came in, and that old chap there is
Pluyvis--the Affaire man, you know. I must have a word with him in a
minute, if you'll excuse me."

He began to ask affectionately after the health of the excellent Fox,
asked if I saw him often, and so on and so on. I divined with amusement
that was pleasurable that the little man had his own little axe to
grind, and thought I might take a turn at the grindstone if he managed