“Oh, yes!” said Josephine, “it is likely I’d dare to go and tell her that.”
Just then the outer door-bell rang.
“No doubt that’s la Peyrade,” said Thuillier, in a tone of satisfaction.
The Provencal appeared a moment later.
“Faith, my dear friend,” cried Thuillier, “it is high time you came; the house is in revolution, all about you, and it needs your silvery tongue to bring it back to peace and quietness.”
Then he related to his assistant editor the circumstances of the civil war which had broken out.
La Peyrade turned to Madame Colleville.
“I think,” he said, “that under the circumstances in which we now stand there is no impropriety in my asking for an interview of a few moments with Mademoiselle Colleville.”
In this the Provencal showed his usual shrewd ability; he saw that in the mission of pacification thus given to him Celeste Colleville was the key of the situation.
“I will send for her, and we will leave you alone together,” said Flavie.