“I will be careful, and I will do a great deal in pantomime.”
Everything being arranged, the gentlemen breakfasted and conversed at great length; ordered a pipe and cigars, and smoked to pass the time away.
More than two hours passed. Poterne replaced his green spectacles on his nose, saying:
“Now I can go and finish up our business.”
He rose; Daréna did the same.
“Yes, it is time; let us go.”
“But I don’t need you,” said Poterne; “besides, you mustn’t go into the house with me, it would be imprudent. If Chérubin should see you, he would call on you to help him.”
“I know all that, you old sharper; but you don’t imagine, I presume, that I am going to let you go off all alone with notes for sixty thousand francs in your pocket? No, my dear fellow, I love you too dearly to lose sight of you. I propose to watch you into the house; I know that it has but one door; I shall keep my eye on that door, and if it should occur to you to run away too fast, I promise you that you will soon be overtaken.”
“Oh! monsieur le comte! you have suspicions that hurt me terribly!”
“Why, no, it’s simply savoir-vivre, it’s the way of the world, that’s all! Off we go.”