“And now we must be left alone,” said the doctor.
He came down himself in a moment, and gave us an encouraging account of the patient.
Hardly had the street door closed behind him when we heard the lawyer’s powerful voice thundering down the stairs.
“Charnot!”
The old numismatist flew up the flight of stairs.
“Did you call me, Monsieur?”
“Yes, to invite you to dinner. I couldn’t say the words just now, but it was in my mind.”
“It is very kind of you, but we leave at nine o’clock.”
“I dine at seven; that’s plenty of time.”
“It will tire you too much.”