ad known one
another for ten years. Madeleine, whose face was radiant, said: "I will
leave you together. I have work to superintend in the kitchen." The
dinner was excellent and the Count remained very late. When he was
gone, Madeleine said to her husband: "Is he not nice? He improves, too,
on acquaintance. He is a good, true, faithful friend. Ah, without him--"

She did not complete her sentence and Georges replied: "Yes, he is very
pleasant, I think we shall understand each other well."

"You do not know," she said, "that we have work to do to-night before
retiring. I did not have time to tell you before dinner, for Vaudrec
came. Laroche-Mathieu brought me important news of Morocco. We must
make a fine article of that. Let us set to work at once. Come, take the
lamp."

He carried the lamp and they entered the study. Madeleine leaned,
against the mantelpiece, and having lighted a cigarette, told him the
news and gave him her plan of the article. He listened attentively,
making notes as she spoke, and when she had finished he raised
objections, took up the question and, in his turn, developed another
plan. His wife ceased smoking, for her interest was aroused in
following Georges's line of thought. From time to time she murmured:
"Yes, yes; very good--excellent--very forcible--" And when he had
finished speaking, she said: "Now let us write."

It was always difficult for him to make a beginning and she would lean
over his shoulder and whisper the phrases in his ear, then he would add
a few lines; when their article was completed, Georges re-read it. Both
he and Madeleine pronounced it admirable and kissed one another with
passionate admiration.

The article appeared with the signature of "G. du Roy de Cantel," and
made a great sensation. M. Walter congratulated the author, who soon
became celebrated in political circles. His wife, too, surprised him by
the ingenuousness of her mind, the cleverness of her wit, and the
number of her acquaintances. At almost any time upon returning home he
found in his salon a senator, a deputy, a magistrate, or a general, who
treated Madeleine with grave familiarity.

Deputy Laroche-Mathieu, who dined at Rue Fontaine every Tuesday, was
one of the largest stockholders of M. Walter's paper and the latter's
colleague and associate in many business transactions. Du Roy hoped,
later on, that some of the benefits promised by him to Forestier might
fall to his share. They would be given t