"As for you, baron, I might put a no less offensive and, perhaps, even more dangerous question to you," retorted the marquis, smiling. "When will you return the thousand francs I had the pleasure of loaning to you the other evening?"
"You are too inquisitive, marquis."
"Come, come, baron, don't treat M. de Talleyrand's bon mots as you treat thousand franc notes."
"What do you mean by that, marquis?"
"I mean that it costs you no more to put one in circulation than the other."
M. de Ravil bit his lip.
"This explanation is not altogether satisfactory, M. le marquis," he said, coldly.
"You have an unquestionable right to be very exacting in the matter of explanations, baron," retorted the marquis, in the same tone of contemptuous persiflage; "but you have no right to be indiscreet, as you certainly are at this moment. I had the honour to address M. de Mornand, and you intrude yourself into our conversation, which is exceedingly annoying to me."
Then, turning to M. de Mornand, the hunchback continued:
"You did me the honour, just now, to say that my request that you would act as my vis-à-vis was very remarkable, I believe."