Arthur Sherburne Hardy

“ It was while making this reflection that Michel entered. Saluting, he went tranquilly to his desk, as M. Joly had foreseen.
"Michel," said M. Joly, "I see that you worship the muse." The color mounted furiously to the young man's face. "I ask your pardon for reading your verses, but—do you know the story of Susanna?" ”

“ Bringing hack with an effort his wandering mind from the Luxembourg Gardens to the Prefecture of Police, M. Joly observed that the handwriting was not Michel's and that the paper was not that of the Prefecture. In these days of the emancipation of women, he thought, maidens compose verses to their lovers. I prefer the methods employed by Madame Joly.
He had flattered himself that because Madame Joly was unique among women his experience had been unique also. History repeats itself, he said to himself; it is absurd for any one to believe that he has experienced any new thing under the sun. ”

“ M. Joly looked again into Michel's candid eyes. Pichon's chivalry would never have risen to the height of such an observation. It was difficult to rebuke such innocence.
"That is as it may be. If I have invited you to a conference in the presence of Henri IV., it is because I know that gallant monarch would not be inquisitive. Let us confine ourselves to facts. Why Madame de Saint-Luc desires to recover her letters does not concern us. Doubtless her reasons are excellent. The human heart resembles Vesuvius—it has its periods of eruption—of writing letters. ”

“ M. Joly fixed his eyes upon his companion.
"I am going to impose upon you a disagreeable duty. You will have to go as a woman, Michel. Really, I think you would make a passably pretty woman."
This time the color rose to the roots of the brown hair.
"It is a question of certain letters which Madame de Saint-Luc has had the imprudence to write to Monsieur de Caraman."
For once Michel permitted himself an observation. "But surely, Monsieur de Caraman, being a gentleman, would not abuse the confidence of a woman," he exclaimed naïvely. ”

“ It is a strange fact that two passions so opposed as love and hate should have a common denominator—that Madame de Caraman should discover, in her anger against Madame de Saint-Luc, the measure of her love for her husband. ”

“ M.Joly bowed. He made it a point never to betray his satisfaction at the Prefect's confidence. Besides, he had already provided for that contingency.
"IT IS A PITY YOU CANNOT SMOKE, MICHEL"
Strolling along the Quai toward the Pont Neuf, he sat down on the bench in the shadow of Henri IV. The tide of life was flowing noisily over the bridge. Below, under the arches, the river flowed silently. Nature goes about her business without fuss, he thought; mankind has no manners. ”

“ Monsieur l'Inspecteur, there is no harm done."
"Good," said M.Joly; "if there is none done in the reading, there is none in the writing. Many worthy people have written verses. You will find a little prose of mine after the third verse. Monsieur Michel," he said, taking up his hat.
"Why do I sometimes say 'Monsieur' Michel," he said to himself as he went out the door, "when 'Pichon' is always quite enough for Pichon?" ”

“ On this June morning, the air being sultry, M. Joly's imagination refused long excursions in favor of the scribblings on Michel's desk. What was that little Michel scribbling on the Prefecture paper
For Michel was small of stature, astonishingly slender for a man in his prime. M. Joly was not in the habit of shaking hands with his subordinates. But this had not prevented him from observing Michel's, terminating in long, tapering fingers. Compared with the short, blunt ones of Pichon— Ah well, thought M. Joly, what does it matter where Michel obtained his fingers? ”

“ The longest-living author of this work died in 1930, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 93 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works. ”