"I wonder," he murmured after a while.
"Don't trouble, sir. I am not worth it."
"Ah! but youth always is a perpetual wonder to me. It is such a long time since I was young myself. And I was wondering which of the two levers youth pulled in order to make you act as you did."
"Two levers?"
"Love or hate."
Then, as Peter was silent in his turn, M. de Kervoisin went on: "You know, we in France always look for the woman in every case. Now here we have not far to seek. And yet love would seem to me to have gained nothing by this adventure, whilst hate, on the other hand——"
He paused abruptly, his keen eyes narrowed, and his lips curled in a sardonic smile.
"Ah!" he said. "I think I understand, after all."
"That's more than I do, sir," Peter retorted ingenuously.
M. de Kervoisin would no doubt have pursued the subject, which seemed greatly to interest him, had not Naniescu just then made a noisy re-entry into the room. He had a large, official-looking document in his hand, which he threw down on the table.