Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: " I—I trust," he stammered, " I am not wanting in hospitality. Monsieur will understand, I am sure. But truly I am not accustomed, at this hour This, Monsieur will admit, is a trifle " " Unexpected? " Canardin clapped a hand on the shoulder of his startled host and laughed not the less gayly because his laughter was attuned by habit to the pitch of caution. " Of course it's unexpected! That has long been my profession, my dear Lavallais. That is how I have garnered my wealth—by being unexpected. And even yet you do not recall me? You who have trailed me for years! You do not recognize your Canardin? " "Canardin?" "Not so loud, my dear Lavallais! Not so loud, I beg of you! Wait! Pardon the liberty. We who have so much to discuss must not be overheard." The intruder moved stealthily to the window, taking pains to throw no shadoAV from the candle, and after a cautious glance below he noiselessly lowered the sash. " That's better, more intimate," he sighed, turning back again into the little room. " Quite so, my dear Lavallais—Canardin! The Brignon of those old days at Clermont College, now long the Canardinof general notice, whose company you have courted so long. Since the police gave me that name, I have refused to acknowledge any other." " Canardin?" Scarcely believing his ears, and even less his eyes, young Lavallais looked his man up and down. "Aye, Canardin. ' Can it be possible!' you say. It is incredible. Yet here I am, the man whose capture would make your name, your fortune, your place at court! A hundred times you have almost had me. Now I blunder in on you, with equal surprise to us both. Admit, my dear Lavallais, this is droll, is it not? And you do not offer me even a chair! What! Only one chair in your apartment, Lavallais? I must order you one. A gilded...