"Monsieur, will you do me the favour to act as my vis-à-vis?"
M. de Mornand's surprise was so great that he started back without uttering a word on hearing this request, for the person who had just made it was no other than the Marquis de Maillefort, the singular hunchback, of whom frequent mention has already been made in these pages.
There was also another feeling that prevented M. de Mornand from immediately replying to this strange proposition, for, in the full, vibrating voice of the speaker, M. de Mornand fancied, for an instant, that he recognised the voice of the unseen person who had called him a scoundrel when he spoke in such disparaging terms of Madame de Beaumesnil.
The Marquis de Maillefort, pretending not to notice the air of displeased surprise with which M. de Mornand had greeted the proposal, repeated in the same tone of scrupulous politeness:
"Monsieur, will you do me the favour to act as my vis-à-vis in the next quadrille?"
On hearing this request on the part of the deformed man thus reiterated, M. de Mornand, without concealing his desire to laugh, exclaimed:
"Act as your vis-à-vis,—yours, monsieur?"
"Yes, monsieur," replied the marquis, with the most innocent air imaginable.
"But,—but what you ask is—is—permit me to say—very remarkable."
"And very dangerous, my dear marquis," added the Baron de Ravil, with his usual sneer.