"Why not?"

"Farceur!"

"She has received me, as a matter of fact, very badly."

"She will receive you better by and bye."

"Do you think so?"

"I have some good news for her."

"No harm in that. So she has spoken to you about me?"

"Last night, or rather to-night, when you and your friend went.
By the way, what is your friend called? Gaston R., his name is,
isn't it?"

"Yes," said I, not without smiling, as I thought of what Gaston
had confided to me, and saw that Prudence scarcely even knew his
name.

"He is quite nice, that fellow; what does he do?"

"He has twenty-five thousand francs a year."

"Ah, indeed! Well, to return to you. Marguerite asked me all
about you: who you were, what you did, what mistresses you had
had; in short, everything that one could ask about a man of your
age. I told her all I knew, and added that you were a charming