‘Now then for the story,’ said M. Vandeloup, leaning back luxuriously on the sofa, and blowing a cloud of smoke.

‘I don’t want to hear it,’ retorted the other, quickly; ’name your terms and let us end the matter.’

‘Pardon me,’ said M. Vandeloup, with a smile, ’but I refuse to accept any terms till I have given you thoroughly to understand what I mean; so you must hear this little tale of Adele Blondet.’

‘For God’s sake, no!’ cried the other, hoarsely, rising to his feet; ’I tell you I am haunted by it; by day and by night, sleeping or waking, I see her face ever before me like an accusing angel.’

‘Curious,’ murmured M. Vandeloup, ’especially as she was not by any means an angel.’

‘I thought it was done with,’ said Meddlechip, twisting his fingers together, while the large drops of perspiration stood on his forehead, ’but here you come like a spectre from the past and revive all the old horrors.’

‘If you call Adele a horror,’ retorted Vandeloup, coolly, ’I am certainly going to revive her, so you had best sit down and hear me to the end, for you certainly will not turn me from my purpose.’

Meddlechip sank back into his chair with a groan, while his relentless enemy curled himself up on the sofa in a more comfortable position and began to talk.

‘We will begin the story,’ said M. Vandeloup, in a conversational tone, with an airy wave of his delicate white hand, ’in the good old-fashioned style of our fairy tales.  Once upon a time—­let us say three years ago—­there lived in Paris a young man called Octave Braulard, who was well born and comfortably off.  He had a fancy to be a doctor, and was studying for the medical profession when he became entangled with a woman.  Mademoiselle Adele Blondet was a charmingly ugly actress, who was at that time the rage of Paris.  She attracted all the men, not by her looks, but by her tongue.  Octave Braulard,’ went on M. Vandeloup, complacently looking at himself, ’was handsome, and she fell in love with him.  She became his mistress, and caused a nine days’ wonder in Paris by remaining constant to him for six months.  Then there came to Paris an English gentleman from Australia—­name, Kestrike; position, independent; income, enormous.  He had left Madame his wife in London, and came to our wicked Paris to amuse himself.  He saw Adele Blondet, and was introduced to her by Braulard; result, Kestrike betrayed his friend Braulard by stealing from him his mistress.  Why was this?  Was Kestrike handsome?  No.  Was he fascinating?  No.  Was he rich?  Yes.  Therein lay the secret; Adele loved the purse, not the man.  Braulard,’ said Gaston, rising from the sofa quickly and walking across the room, ’felt his honour wounded.  He remonstrated with Adele, no use; he offered to fight a duel with the perfidious Kestrike, no use; the thief was a coward.’

‘No,’ cried Meddlechip, rising, ‘no coward.’