“I heard his steps on the stairs, and then his
hands feeling along the walls. ‘Come here,
my dear fellow,’ I said; ‘we have had an
accident.’
“And the astonished husband appeared in the
door with a cigar in his mouth, and said: ‘What
is the matter? What is the meaning of this?’
’My dear friend,’ I said, going up to
him, ’you find us in great embarrassment.
I had remained late, chatting with your wife and our
friend, who had brought me in his carriage, when he
suddenly fainted, and in spite of all we have done,
he has remained unconscious for two hours. I
did not like to call in strangers, and if you will
now help me downstairs with him, I shall be able to
attend to him better at his own house.’
“The husband, who was surprised, but quite unsuspicious,
took off his hat, and then he took his rival, who
would be quite inoffensive for the future, under the
arms. I got between his two legs, as if I had
been a horse between the shafts, and we went downstairs,
while his wife held a light for us. When we got
outside I stood the body up, so as to deceive the
coachman, and said: ’Come, my friend; it
is nothing; you feel better already I expect.
Pluck up your courage, and make an effort. It
will soon be over.’ But as I felt that
he was slipping out of my hands, I gave him a slap
on the shoulder, which sent him forward and made him
fall into the carriage, and then I got in after him.
Monsieur Lelievre, who was rather alarmed, said to
me: ‘Do you think it is anything serious?’
To which I replied: ‘No,’ with a
smile, as I looked at his wife, who had put her arm
into that of her husband, and was trying to see into
the carriage.
“I shook hands with them and told my coachman
to start, and during the whole drive the dead man
kept falling against me. When we got to his house
I said that he had become unconscious on the way home,
and helped to carry him upstairs, where I certified
that he was dead, and acted another comedy to his
distracted family, and at last I got back to bed,
not without swearing at lovers.”
The doctor ceased, though he was still smiling, and
the young woman, who was in a very nervous state,
said: “Why have you told me that terrible
story?”
He gave her a gallant bow, and replied:
“So that I may offer you my services if they
should be needed.”
They had just dined together, five old friends, a
writer, a doctor and three rich bachelors without
any profession.
They had talked about everything, and a feeling of
lassitude came over them, that feeling which precedes
and leads to the departure of guests after festive
gatherings. One of those present, who had for
the last five minutes been gazing silently at the
surging boulevard dotted with gas-lamps, with its
rattling vehicles, said suddenly:
“When you’ve nothing to do from morning
till night, the days are long.”
