come upstairs! It's a great wonder he's escorted me as far as the

door. There are nearly a dozen of them smoking cigars."

As a matter of fact, all the gentlemen were meeting downstairs.

They had come strolling thither in order to have a look at the

boulevards, and they hailed one another and commented loudly on that

poor girl's death. Then they began discussing politics and

strategy. Bordenave, Daguenet, Labordette, Prulliere and others,

besides, had swollen the group, and now they were all listening to