Lucien told me his brother's address, 7, Rue du Helder, and gave me a letter which I undertook to deliver personally.
We parted with great cordiality, and a week later I was back in Paris.
III.--The Fate of Louis
I was startled by the extraordinary resemblance of M. Louis de Franchi, whom I had at once called upon, to his brother.
I was relieved to find that he was not suffering from illness, and I told him of the anxiety of his family concerning his health. M. de Franchi replied that he had not been ill, but that he had been suffering from a very bitter disappointment, aggravated by the knowledge that his own suffering caused his brother to suffer, too. He hoped, however, that time would heal the wound in his heart.
We agreed to meet the following night at the opera ball at midnight, on the young lawyer's suggestion. I rallied him on his recovery from his sorrow, but Louis only said mournfully that he was driven by fate, dragged against his will.
"I am quite sure," he said, "that it would be better for me not to go, but nevertheless I am going."
Louis was too pre-occupied to talk when we met at the masked ball, and he suddenly left me for a lady carrying violets. Later he rejoined me, and together we set off to supper at three o'clock in the morning. It was my friend D----'s supper party, and he had included Louis in the invitation.
We found our friends waiting supper, and D---- announced that the only person who had not arrived was Château-Renard. It seemed there was a wager on that M. de Château-Renard would not arrive with a certain lady whom he had undertaken to bring to supper.
Louis, who was as pale as death, implored D---- not to mention the lady's name, and our host acceded to the request.