The Ink-Stain, Complete

y

ing fire and fury. Were I not so

ould have come to meet me at the station. In short, I am an ungrateful wretch. At least I might have fixed the hour of my imminent arrival, for I can not want to stop in Paris with nothing there to detain me. But no, not a sign, no

uspected it; some crea

g to break

S MOUI

l; he will be

y

cle a

y

ncle than

y

. No news of M. Mouilla

y

'clock, just as I was g

l, broad-brimmed hat su

k throttled in a white

of attenuated legs.

nc

me and I fell into the

st that you hav

unc

yot's,

ost as if you had been taken in. You are heated, your arguments are at your fingers' end

vered from my s

u sooner, from

there on account of the dining-room, for my friend Hublette (you remember Hublette at

o see you there, uncl

barristers and five solicitors. You know that business of that kind can not wait. I

inly,

ck, march! Paris, makes on

t, made all who passed him turn to stare, accustomed as Parisians are to curiosities. He tapped the wood pavement with his stick, admired the

sitively at the top of his voice, as his wont was. He told me the story of two of his best actions this year, a judicial separation-my uncle is very strong in judicial separations-and the abduction of a minor. At first I looked out for personal allusions. But no, he told the story from

M. Mouillard ca

at cigars h

acadores, partagas, esceptiona

g one that will take

ition, abandoned by all, like the Great Eastern, on account of its dimensions. My uncle seized it, stuck it in the amber mouthpiece that is so familiar to me, ligh

He took them all up one after another, from the poetry of the decedents to the Veterinary Manual,

ow that

yes, u

new author; I can'

ty-five years since he had last vis

himself in dim reveries. His cigar never left his lips. The ash grew longer and longer yet, a lovely white ash, slightly swollen at the tip

student-of the age that knows no mercy-was struck by these twin phenomena. I saw

ble you for a

o terrible eyes upon the intruder, knocked off the ash with a

leasure

book he had taken up-a cop

, Fab

he Rue de Medicis along the

pet saying: "When a thing is not clear to me,

et began

hese bonds I mentione

I have been

n breast of it, my boy; but

are br

long

days

our h

es

f bondage. But there, you took your uncle's advice; you s

ter arrived after the event. The cause o

he cau

hattering of

illusions about

creature, and wor

e, c

elieve me. I thought

she

roth

w, that's

ny, uncle. I suffered

he illusions you spoke of

te o

I am ready to help you. Confess fr

w m

e incident. You know what I mean, eh? to purchase

hing at a

Fabien; I've got t

s no question of money. I must tell you again tha

cle s

I am speaking of Madem

are

of a member of

ha

e a jump and

whom I was in love with and wis

t the railing an

ever! A woman you

what's th

mportance going on, and I knew nothing about them. Marry! You might be announcing yo

e told

s Lar

end of

only heard it t

hink there may still be hope

do not come to Paris for their wives, Fabien-we do not want a Parisienne to carry on the traditions of the family, and the

nly not

reas

goodby, and because I have need to reflect before

destined for you since you were an infant, in view of which you have been working for

, un

urges quite as well as here. Your objec

is n

rit up and down her street. By

l'Univ

his features expanded. He gave a snort, which I understood, for I had often heard it in cou

n its case, and his notebook i

en, eight, nine, ten." He was counting on his fingers. "These return tickets are very conven

bomb, and make for the seat beside her, hurriedly drew in the folds of her dress, which were spread over the seat. My uncle noticed her action, and, fearing he had been rude, bent over toward her with an affable expression. "Do not disturb yourself, Madame. I am not going all the way to Batignoll

mering the pavement, strained for an instant amid showers of sparks, and the long