"True, very true; but how about yourself?"
"Oh! I breakfasted at Passy, with certain excellent people, whose society is not over and above diverting: and, faith! after breakfast I came here for a smoke. How does it happen that you are not on horseback?"
"Why, because it suited me to come on foot, I presume."
"That was well deserved—excuse my curiosity. For my part, if I still owned a horse, I certainly wouldn't be on foot. You see, I am very fond of horses! I used to have some fine ones: that was my passion!"
While Cherami was speaking, Auguste continued to glance uneasily from side to side; he was even paler than usual, and his face wore a grave and gloomy expression.
"Do you happen to have a meeting on hand for to-day?" continued Cherami, flicking the ashes from his cigar. "If that's the case, and you need a second, you know, my dear monsieur, that I am entirely at your service, and that I should be enchanted to oblige you in any way."
"No, no, I have no duel this morning," Auguste replied; then, gazing fixedly at the person before him, he added, in a minute or two: "And yet, monsieur, you can, none the less, do me a very great favor."
"I can? Then, speak! I am entirely at your service. I have nothing to do."
"Yes, it was a lucky chance that led to my meeting you here. I left Paris this morning, rather suddenly, and I forgot to write to a certain person; but it's very important that I should."
"You want me to carry a letter to someone?"