Part 5 (2/2)
”Find that woive you three hundred”
”It will be difficult Paris is large and women are numerous”
”Yes, but there is the Count le Moyne as a clue”
”Yes, yes” He see Then he turned to me
”If monsieur approves and can do without me for two days?”
”Certainly” I was not very anxious to add the wo collection of not easily solved probleer that I decided to ame
Alphonse stood still a moment
”Well?” I said
”The lady, monsieur,--she is, I think, not French”
”No; she is an American, and that is all we know”
”But that is much Then I am free to-morrow?”
”Yes,” and he left us
”What a fine specimen!” said the captain; ”scamp rather than scoundrel Well, I suppose I shall hear froloves--Aramis I hate the little aniantic ness, and eon He has a bass voice like a war-drus shake Oh, I like Porthos Pardon rotesquely huge Tell ht in France; may I have another? Thanks You were to see him to-day”
”Yes; I called on hi you have told me is inal _trois mousquetaires_ rather too much on your ”
”But what about the count? You have seen him, I suppose”
”Yes, I saw Count le Moyne He lives in a char little hotel near the Parc Monceaux He had my card in his hand when I entered He welcomed ation, that we have never met; but then I am only of late transferred from Vienna Pray sit down'
”I was sure that for a fraction of a moment he did not identify me, but as I spoke, my voice, as so often happens, revealed more than the darkness had h still extremely courteous, he became more cool and looked puzzled
”I said: 'Monsieur, last night, in the darkness, I gave you by mistake the card of my friend Captain Merton in place of ize for , 'As this is e matters as o he said: 'May I ask you to sit down? Now that I know you to be of your legation, and I being, as you are aware, in the Foreign Office, an affair between us would be for both services unadvisable Having left , as you will understand, an unusual thing; but whatever entleman, you will hold e Of course our police found the cabot it out of him I have no direct personal interest in her--none; nor can I explain ret that in the annoyance of rave discourtesy If you had told me that you would send your seconds to me to-day, I should have felt that you were fully justified I can very well afford to say that I owe you an apology; and, fortunately,man and will return for instructions If, however, you feel--'
”'Oh, no,' I said; 'pardon et an unfortunate incident, and to add that the lady, by the e I never met her before'
”I saw at once that he had a look of what I took to be relief He smiled, becaht have said or done the night before was really unavoidable, he returned that it was quite true that he had been hasty, and that, as he had said very little to his friends, it would rest between us