Laroque's face brightened.
"Ah, ha! I see!" he exclaimed, "It certainly begins to look promising!"
"Most promising!" rumbled M. Merivel.
Then they began to outline the details of the campaign, and it was late in the afternoon when M. Perissard suggested that there was nothing more to do.
"I need not impress upon you the necessity for the utmost tact and caution in dealing with this gentleman," he said in conclusion. "You can see that in his position he has powerful official influence and we must be careful that he does not trip us. He is shrewd, bold and unscrupulous."
"Most unscrupulous!" affirmed M. Merivel.
"By the way," said his colleague, suddenly, "you aren't married, are you?"
"Lord! No!" laughed Laroque.
"That's all right!" said M. Perissard, approvingly.
"Women are charming creatures, but in business-s-s!" M. Merivel's hands, shoulders and eye-brows went up.