He sank down on a chair in a fit of laughter. I was rather vexed at this uncontrollable outburst, and I continued my explanation.
“There is nothing so funny about it,” I said. “I have a poor fellow, for instance, whose two fingers have been taken off. He does not need to stay in bed for that, naturally, and his soldier’s cape is not warm enough. It is very difficult to warm the big foyer of the Odéon sufficiently, and those who are well enough have to be there. The man I tell you about is warm enough at present, because I took Henri Fould’s overcoat, when he came to see me the other day. My poor soldier is huge, and as Henri Fould is a giant I might never have had such an opportunity again. I shall want a great many overcoats, though, and this looks like a very warm one.”
I stroked the furry lining of the coveted garment, and the young prefect, still choking with laughter, began to empty the pockets of his overcoat. He pulled out a magnificent white silk muffler from the largest pocket.
“Will you allow me to keep my muffler?” he asked.
I put on a resigned expression and nodded my consent. Our host then rang, and when the usher appeared he handed him the overcoat, and said in a solemn voice, in spite of the laughter in his eyes:
“Will you carry this to the carriage for these ladies?”
I thanked him again and went away feeling very happy.
Twelve days later I returned, taking with me a letter covered with the signatures of the householders and tradesmen living near the Odéon.
On entering the prefect’s room I was petrified to see him, instead of advancing to meet me, rush toward a cupboard, open the door, and fling something hastily into it. After this he leaned back against the door as though to prevent my opening it.
“Excuse me,” he said, in a witty, mocking tone, “but I took a violent cold after your first visit. I have just put my overcoat—oh, only an ugly, old overcoat, not a warm one,” he added quickly, “but still an overcoat, inside there, and there it is now, and I will take the key out of the lock.”