"Like you, Monsieur le docteur."
The absoluteness of his hatred made it possible for him to laugh with her.
"My fees are fairly reasonable at any rate. I've helped some people for nothing."
"Because you love them?"
"No."
"C'est dommage aussi. You should love someone. It is much 'ealthier. I love everyone. Per'aps I love too much. I make experiments. You make experiments—and sometimes leetle mistakes. Comme nous autres. 'Ze operation was a grand succes—but ze patient die.' I know. Some of mine die too."
"Prince Frederick, for instance?"
She lifted the long chain of pearls about her neck and considered them dispassionately.
"That canard! You think 'e give me these? Ce pauvre Fredi! 'E couldn't 'ave given me a chain of pink coral. I could 'ave bought 'im and 'is funny little kingdom with my dress-money. 'E shoot 'imself. Well, that was 'is affaire. 'E 'ave no doubt explain 'imself to ze bon Dieu, who is particulaire about that sort of thing. As to ze old pearls—my agent 'e set that story going—pour encourager les autres."
"Cosgrave among them?" he suggested.