anything of that sort?"

"Eve was one of the first to congratulate me"




AN AMIABLE CHARLATAN



CHAPTER I--THE MAN AT STEPHANO's

The thing happened so suddenly that I really had very little time to make
up my mind what course to adopt under somewhat singular circumstances. I
was seated at my favorite table against the wall on the right-hand side in
Stephano's restaurant, with a newspaper propped up before me, a glass of
hock by my side, and a portion of the _plat du jour_, which happened to be
chicken _en casserole_, on the plate in front of me.

I was, in fact, halfway through dinner when, without a word of warning, a
man who seemed to enter with a lightfooted speed that, considering his
size, was almost incredible, drew a chair toward him and took the vacant
place at my table. My glass of wine and my plate were moved with smooth
and marvelous haste to his vicinity. Under cover of the tablecloth a
packet--I could not tell what it contained--was thrust into my hand.

"Sir," he said, raising my glass of wine to his lips, "I am forced to take
somewhat of a liberty. You can render me the service of a lifetime! Kindly
accept the situation."