“You are a brave and noble fellow, Cremailly. Accept my compliments,” again interrupted Andoche.
“For what?”
“I will tell you on the day of my wedding.”
“But you are married now.”
“Well, well, stupid, what did your wife do?”
“Oh, she got to the door first and found Firmin lying on the ground with a broken leg.”
“How did it happen?”
“I do not know. Charlotte asked him how he came there. You know the mountain, in that locality, slopes to the river. Well, he pretends he tumbled down from above.”
“That is a curious explanation.”
“But I have an idea,” continued Cremailly, in suppressed tones, “that the scamp was surprised by some luckless husband—you know he is a wheedler—and was obliged to save himself by jumping out of some window.”