"None whatever, my dear fellow!" he answered, in the same easy tone
which he had preserved all along. "And I may add that there could be
nothing more ridiculous than a quarrel between two friends like you and
me upon such a matter!"
"Let's think no more about it then!" I continued, imitating his
composure. "Since you take it so good-naturedly, I sha'n't press it.
But, having settled this first point, it remains now for us to discuss
what you have termed the confidence."
At this he could not repress a slight gesture. His dark eye flashed up,
but for a moment only: he was soon quite calm again.
"Ah, yes!" he said carelessly; "now we've come to the second point."
"This is the point of importance for me," I added; "and I am going to
ask you, on my side, what you propose to do after this revelation?"
"I must compliment you, my dear fellow, for upon my word it's a most
wonderful romance. Do you really mean to say that this beautiful young
lady whom we have all been admiring from a distance, fascinated by her
charms, and who like a young queen has been starring it in the most
aristocratic drawing-rooms of your society, exciting enthusiastic praise
wherever she goes,--that she is your slave?--You must admit that no
mortal man could help envying you!"
"Do your compliments," I continued, "imply an engagement, on your part,
to abandon importunities, which you now recognise to be useless?"
"Oh, indeed!" he exclaimed, with a laugh; "so you're going to ask me now
to make my confession?"
Exasperated by this imperturbable composure of his, which I could not
break down, I again looked him straight in the face, and asked-"Do you mean to say you refuse to understand me?"
"No, my good sir!" he answered, resuming his peculiar smile, "I
understand you perfectly well; you want to pick a quarrel with me, or to
force me to demand satisfaction from you for a matter to which I do not
attach as much importance as you do. Between ourselves, a duel would be
an act of folly."
"Do you understand, at any rate," I retorted, "that I forbid your ever
presenting yourself before Mademoiselle Kondjé-Gul Murrah again?"
"Fie! my dear fellow! What do you take me for? After such an astonishing
confession on her part, I should prove myself deficient in the most
ordinary discretion, if I did not henceforth spare her my presence; so
you may set your mind at ease on that point."