poor devil's disposal; it was his right, and so we fought a duel. Alas!
It was with swords, and he ran me right through the body. That was also
his right, but he exceeded his right when he called me her _ponce_. Then
I gave him his chance, and as I fell, I called out with all the strength
that remained to me: 'A Frenchman! A Frenchman! Long live France!'"

THE DOUBLE PINS

"Ah; my-dear fellow, what jades women are!"

"What makes you say that?"

"Because they have played me an abominable trick."

"You?"

"Yes, me."

"Women, or a woman?"

"Two women."

"Two women at once?"

"Yes."

"What was the trick?"

The two young men were sitting outside a _cafe_ on the Boulevards, and
drinking liquors mixed with water, those aperients which look like
infusions of all the shades in a box of water-colors. They were nearly
the same age, twenty-five to thirty. One was dark and the other fair,
and they had the same semi-elegant look of stock-jobbers, of men who go
to the Stock Exchange, and into drawing-rooms, who are to be seen
everywhere, who live everywhere, and love everywhere. The dark one
continued.

"I have told you of my connection with that little woman, a tradesman's
wife, whom I met on the beach at Dieppe?"

"Yes."

"My dear fellow, you know what it is. I had a mistress in Paris, whom I
loved dearly; an old friend, a good friend, and it has grown into a
habit, in fact, and I value it very much."

"Your habit."

"Yes, my habit, and hers also. She is married to an excellent man, whom
I also value very much, a very cordial fellow. A capital companion! I
may say, I think that my life is bound up with that house."

"Well?"

"Well! they could not manage to leave Paris, and I found myself a
widower at Dieppe."

"Why did you go to Dieppe?"

"For change of air. One cannot remain on the Boulevards the whole time."

"And then?"

"Then I met the little woman I mentioned to you on the beach there."

"The wife of that head of the public office?"

"Yes; she was dreadfully dull; her husband only came every Sunday, and
he is horrible! I understand her perfectly, and we laughed and danced
together."

"And the rest?"

"Yes, but that came later. However, we met, we liked each other. I told
her I liked her, and she made me repeat it, so that she might understand
it better, and she put no obstacles in my way."

"Did you love her?"

"Yes, a little; she is very nice."

"And what about the other?"