Monsieur de Mardeille was very careful not to miss that appointment, for he was consumed by a longing to see Georgette once more.
"Perhaps she means to return the twelve thousand francs I was stupid enough to give her," he said to himself.
And having made a neat parcel of the little black petticoat, he put it in his overcoat pocket and betook himself to the place indicated in the note.
After a little time, a third personage appeared on the same path; this was the young Vicomte Edward de Sommerston, who had received a letter of precisely the same tenor as Monsieur de Mardeille's, except that he was requested to bring with him a white petticoat. As our young dandy was not inclined to carry a petticoat in his pocket, he was accompanied by a very diminutive groom, who carried the garment in question under his arm and had an abundant supply of cigarettes in his hand.
As these three gentlemen were walking back and forth along the same path, they soon noticed one another.
"Anyone would say that those two dandies also have appointments here," said Dupont to himself.
"Those two fellows are evidently waiting here for someone," thought the viscount, as he puffed at his cigarette.
And Monsieur de Mardeille made a similar reflection as he passed the other two.
Before long there was a smart shower. Instantly all the promenaders and monkey fanciers disappeared, except the three gentlemen with the petticoats. They continued to walk to and fro on the same path; and as there was no one else left there save themselves and the little groom, they could not doubt that they were all there by appointment. They began to smile as they passed one another; it was easy to see that they divined one another's motives for being there, and that they had at their tongue's end some such words as:
"How tedious this waiting is! Gad! if it weren't for a charming woman, I'd have gone away long ago!"