k, Master," I urged anxiously. How was I going to
get him to the Rue des Saladiers? His arm round my neck weighed cruelly
on my frail body.

"Put best foot forward," he murmured making a step and pausing. "That is
very easy; but the devil of it is when time comes for worst foot."

"Try it, for goodness sake," said I.

He tried it with a silly laugh. Then the swing door of the cafe opened
and Joanna with her sweet frightened face appeared on the threshold.

CHAPTER XIII

THE sight of Joanna froze Paragot into momentary sobriety. He stood
rigid for a few seconds and then swayed into a chair by one of the
tables and sat with his head in his hands. I went up to Joanna.

"He can't come to-night, Madame."

"Why not?"

"He is not fit."

As she realised my meaning a look of great pain and repulsion passed
over her face.

"But he must come. Perhaps he will be better presently. You will
accompany us and help me, Mr. Asticot, won't you?"

As usual the frost melted from her eyes and her voice--the silvery
English voice--went to my heart. I bent over Paragot and whispered.

"Take her from this pigstye and the sight of the hog," muttered Paragot.
His hands were clenched in a mighty effort to concentrate his wits.
Joanna approached and touched him on the shoulder.

"Gaston."

Suddenly he relaxed his grip and broke into a stupid laugh.

"Very well. What does it matter? Sorry haven't got--velveteen suit."

"What does he say?" she asked turning to me.

"That he will come, Madame," said I.

Hercule aided me to frog-march him out of the cafe and across the
pavement to the waiting carriage. Joanna took her seat by his side and I
sat opposite. Hercule shut the carriage door and we drove off. Paragot
relapsed into stupor.

"I don't know how to ask you to forgive me, Mr. Asticot, for keeping you
out of your bed at this time of night," said Joanna. "But I am very
friendless here in Paris."

We went along the Boul' Mich' by the quais to the Pont de la Concorde,
crossed the vast and now silent expanse of the Place de la Concorde and,
going by the Rue Royale and the long dull Boulevard Malesherbes and the
Boulevard Haussmann, entered the Avenue de Messine. It is a long drive
under the most cheerful circumstances; but at one o'clock in the morning
in the company of the dearest thing in the world to me half drunk, and
the dear lady whom he worshipped horrified and disgusted at the thought
thereof, it seemed intermin