"'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, and who will be
absolutely silent--you acknowledge, I say, that the individual
designated in the documents subjoined to the deed, and whose identity
is to be further proved by an act of recognition prepared by your
notary, Alexandre Crottat, is your first husband, Comte Chabert. By
the second clause Comte Chabert, to secure your happiness, will
undertake to assert his rights only under certain circumstances set
forth in the deed.--And these," said Derville, in a parenthesis, "are
none other than a failure to carry out the conditions of this secret
agreement.--M. Chabert, on his part, agrees to accept judgment on a
friendly suit, by which his certificate of death shall be annulled,
and his marriage dissolved."

"That will not suit me in the least," said the Countess with surprise.
"I will be a party to no suit; you know why."