I do not give it here, for divers reasons. When she had done, it was found to be time to return. I would have left the party, but Raymond having seperated Le Brun from Esther, he joined himself to me, and I was unable to do so.
"What will Grace say?" thought I. "I hope she won't wait tea for me." I should have been somewhat crusty if, on an ordinary occasion, I had returned from a stroll and found that she and the rest had not waited. Le Brun asked me—as M. Raymond had already done—to stay all the evening with the party. That, however, I felt to be impossible, and said so.
"Well, for the present, then," he said. "What can you tell me of M. Gray?" he added.
"I expect my brother here to-morrow," I said, "when I will compare notes with him. Till then I should be cautious, as I may injure an innocent man. But do you be cautious too. How about this challenge? Shall you sleep in the haunted house? It is romantic nonsense—this of a spirit, you know. Mademoiselle has seen a clothes-horse, or a—a part of her dress in moonlight. I don't believe in ghosts myself at all."
"Don't you?" said he, somewhat sadly. "I—the truth is, mon cher, I am afraid I do."
"You must go on now, though," I said, maliciously.
"Oh, yes—of course—go on," he answered; "but, monsieur——" he hesitated.
"What is it, my dear friend?" I said.
"I thought to ask a favor of you," he replied. "Will you accompany me to this house, monsieur? I feel I ask much—but will you?"
"Much, my very dear sir!" I exclaimed, in the fullness of my heart—"not at all too much. I shall be happy to be of any use to you, and will sit and smoke those cigars of yours, and let the ghosts go to old ——." I stopped suddenly.