instructed him to send it up at once to the count. In a
minute or two after he returned and asked me to come up to his master's
private room: he showed me into a little smoking-room adjoining the
bedroom, to which the count's intimate friends only are admitted. I had
hardly entered it when Daniel appeared; he was dressed in a Moldavian
costume which he uses as a dressing-gown.

"Hullo, here's our dear friend Andre!" he said when he saw me, in such
an indifferent tone that I could detect in it the intentional
affectation of a calmness to which his pale countenance gave the lie.

Still he did not hold out his hand to me, nor did I proffer mine; he sat
down, indicating to me an arm-chair on the other side of the fire-place.

"What good fortune has brought you here so early this morning?" he
continued, taking a few puffs at his cigar.

"Why, I should have thought you expected to see me," I replied, looking
him straight in the face.

He returned my look with a smile.

"I expected you, without expecting you, as they say."

By the peculiar tone in which he uttered these words, I could see that
he was determined to make me take the initiative in the matter upon
which I had come.

"Very well!" I said, wishing to show him that I guessed his mind. "I
will explain myself."

"I am all attention, my dear fellow," he answered.

"I have come to speak to you," I continued drily, "about Mademoiselle
Kondje-Gul Murrah, and about what passed yesterday between her and you."

"Ah, yes! I understand: you are referring to the somewhat severe lecture
which I drew upon myself, and to the confidential communication she made
me."

"Precisely so," I added; "you could not sum up the two points better
than you have done: a lecture, and a confidence. Now as one outcome of
the second point is that I am responsible for all Mademoiselle Murrah's
acts, I have come to place myself at your command respecting the lecture
she thought fit to give you."

"What nonsense, my dear fellow!" he exclaimed, puffing a cloud of smoke
into the air. "After all I only had what I deserved, for I can only
blame my own presumption. Besides the very anger of such a charming
young lady is a favour to the man who incurs it, so that my only regret
is that I offended her. I should therefore really laugh at myself to
think that I could hold you responsible for this little incident: nay, I
will go so far as to say that, strictly speaking, I should owe you an
apology