"And you have never heard of him since?" asked Nassar.
"Never," was the reply.
"Well," said de Morin, as we made our way back to the spot where we had left Madame de Guéran, "I begin to think that, one day or other, we shall stumble across this dear Baron."
"Yes," I replied, "the chances are in favour of it."
"So I think. But has it occurred to you that in proportion as those chances increase, ours diminish?"
"Clearly. How does that affect you?"
"How does it affect you?"
"My dear fellow," said de Morin to me, "it is very odd, but all the same it is a fact that I have ended by sharing the hopes, fears, doubts, and sufferings of our companion. I appear now to have a direct interest in finding her husband, whereas you might naturally suppose that all my interest would be centred in never setting eyes on him. In short, this charming woman has gained such a hold over me, and I esteem her so highly, that every now and then I am surprised at finding my own identity merged in hers, and my thoughts devoted to her happiness alone."
"That is precisely my feeling," I replied. "Only, I wish she would feel that to bring about my happiness would conduce to her own."
This philosophical dissertation was interrupted by the subject of it. She came to meet us as soon as she caught sight of us, and at once asked for our report. De Morin must have been right, for I experienced a real pleasure in imparting to her the good news we had just heard.