"Nay, nay, my lord!" he replied, firmly. "Never remove a bottle until it's empty!"
"It makes no difference to me, monsieur."
"Just what I thought!" was the retort. "But it makes a good deal of difference to me!" And as Victor slowly slouched out he picked up one of the tumblers with trembling hands and took a sip.
"Great! Great!" he murmured, closing his eyes in ecstasy.
"Yes, it is good, isn't it?" And the woman took a long drink.
"It's a marvel! A marvel! There's nothing you do better than an absinthe! Light up, old girl and let's be happy!"
She lighted a cigarette, and for several minutes they smoked and sipped in silence.
"Are we going to stay here long?" she asked at last, in a tone that implied that it made no difference to her whether they did or not.
"I don't know," he replied, passing over his empty glass as she began laying the foundations of another drink. "That depends on Perissard. I must have a chat with him before I can say."
"Who is Perissard?" she inquired indifferently.