“What a strange man!” murmured Honorine.
“All the same, my dear love, we were very lucky to meet him; and he doesn’t frighten me at all now. Do you still think that he has a terrifying look?”
“No, oh, no! but he went away very abruptly.”
III
THE EFFECTS OF MUSIC AND OF A MATELOTE
It was a magnificent morning and the clock had just struck nine, when Edmond Didier appeared, very carefully dressed, at his friend Freluchon’s, who had just left his bed.
“What, you lazy fellow! not dressed yet! And it’s nine o’clock, and the weather is superb, and the first days of June are the finest of the whole year!”
“Bah! what do I care for all that? It matters little to me what time it is. I rise late because I sat up very late. A little egg-supper, with some very interesting ladies from the Folies-Dramatiques. Artistes, you see—they are the only really agreeable women!”
“You exaggerate, Freluchon, my dear fellow! We have artistes also who put on airs and are forever posing in company.”
“To them we say zut!—dramatic style.—But how fine you are this morning! Have you something on hand for to-day?”
“Certainly; this is the day that we are going to Chelles, to see those ladies I spoke to you about.”