Милый друг
A Meeting and the Result
IwillgiveyouanarticleonthepoliticalsituationofourAfricancolony,"andheproceededtoprepareM.Walteranoutlineofhiswork,whichwasnothingbutamodificationofhisfirstarticleon"SouvenirsofaSoldierinAfrica."
Themanagerhavingreadthearticlesaid:"Itisperfect;youareatreasure.Manythanks."
DuRoyreturnedhometodinnerdelightedwithhisday,notwithstandinghisfailureatLaTrinite.Hiswifewasawaitinghimanxiously.Sheexclaimedonseeinghim:
"YouknowthatLarocheisministerofforeignaffairs."
"Yes,Ihavejustwrittenanarticleonthatsubject."
"How?"
"Doyourememberthefirstarticlewewroteon‘SouvenirsofaSoldierinAfrica’?Well,Irevisedandcorrecteditfortheoccasion."
Shesmiled."Ah,yes,thatwilldoverywell."
Atthatmomenttheservantenteredwithadispatchcontainingthesewordswithoutanysignature:
"Iwasbesidemyself.Pardonmeandcometo-morrowatfouro’clocktoParkMonceau."
Heunderstoodthemessage,andwithajoyfulheart,slippedthetelegramintohispocket.Duringdinnerherepeatedthewordstohimself;asheinterpretedthem,theymeant,"Iyield—Iamyourswhereandwhenyouwill."Helaughed.
Madeleineasked:"Whatisit?"
"Nothingmuch.IwasthinkingofacomicaloldpriestImetashortwhilesince.
