"Listen," he said, "you see those two gentlemen sitting there?"
"Parfaitement, monsieur," the man replied.
"Have you ever seen the elder one before—the dark one with the glasses?"
The waiter hesitated.
"Monsieur," he said, looking at the five francs in his hand, "monsieur le propriétaire here has strange notions. He objects that we mention ever the name of any of his clients."
"Why is that?" Julien asked.
"How should one know, monsieur?" the waiter answered. "Only it seems that this place is a little distance from Paris, it is retired, one finds seclusion here. People meet, I think, in these gardens who do not care to be seen in Paris. There are some come here who whisper at the door to monsieur le propriétaire that their names must never be mentioned."
"One can understand that, perhaps," Julien agreed, "but these are surely affairs of gallantry? It is when the gentlemen bring ladies, perhaps?"
The man shook his head and gesticulated an emphatic negative.
"Monsieur," he declared, "there are other things. There are other things, indeed. This place is well-known because there meet here often men who are interested in discussing serious matters. I can tell monsieur, alas! the name of no one among the guests here. If I attempted it, it would mean my dismissal, and there is no place in Paris, monsieur, where the salaries are so good as here." Julien hesitated. Then he drew a louis from his pocket.