hunchback was no boaster."

Flora, seated near to Gonzague, and conquered by his domination and by
the horror of the scene, covered her face with her hands and shuddered.
"It's too horrible," she moaned.

The hunchback nodded to her ironically. "You are severe," he said, dryly.
Then he turned to Gonzague. "There is a friend of mine at the door," he
said. "May I introduce him?"

Gonzague nodded, and the hunchback advanced to the door of the
antechamber.

Chavernay looked after him with haggard eyes. "What spell has the devil
got?" he muttered.

Gonzague shrugged his shoulders. "I am amazed; but the knave has my
faith, and, if the lady's taste limps, shall we say her nay?"

XXVIII

THE SIGNATURE OF AESOP

By this time the hunchback had opened the door and introduced to the
company a dapper, affable gentleman who was habited, as became his
calling, for the most part in black; but he lent an air of smartness to
his notarial garb by reason that the black of his coat and breeches was
of silk, and that he wore a quantity of costly lace. This was Master
Griveau, one of the principal notaries of Paris, and a man that had been
employed not a little by the Prince de Gonzague. For this reason his face
was familiar to most of those present, and the faces of most of those
present were familiar to Master Griveau, and Master Griveau nodded and
bowed and smirked and smiled, and showed in a hundred little ways with a
hundred little airs and graces that he was quite the man of the world and
quite at home in fashionable circles. He was accompanied by two of his
clerks, who seemed as anxious to efface themselves as their master was to
assert his personality.

The hunchback patted the notary on the back with a pat that made him give
at the knees and look somewhat ruefully about him as if an earthquake
had occurred, and introduced him to the company: "Here, sirs, is my
Cupid--nay, better than Cupid, for Cupid had no pockets, whereas Maitre
Griveau has, and my marriage contract in one of them."

Master Griveau, with the air of one who could take a joke as well as any
man if the joke were proffered in august company, produced a large,
folded paper bound about with green ribbon. He bowed profoundly to
Gonzague. "In accordance," he said, "with monseigneur's instructions, as
conveyed to me by monseigneur's"--he halted for a moment, and then
continued--"Monseigneur's friend, the deed is prepared and ready for
signature. Have I