〃Well；〃　replied　Adam；　〃I　am　always　ready；　as　in　battle；　to　devote
  myself　to　Paz。　Our　two　characters　have　kept　their　natural　asperities
  and　defects；　but　the　mutual　comprehension　of　our　souls　has　tightened
  the　bond　already　close　between　us。　It　is　quite　possible　to　save　a
  man's　life　and　kill　him　afterwards　if　we　find　him　a　bad　fellow；　but
  Paz　and　I　know　THAT　of　each　other　which　makes　our　friendship
  indissoluble。　There's　a　constant　exchange　of　happy　thoughts　and
  impressions　between　us；　and　really；　perhaps；　such　a　friendship　as　ours
  is　richer　than　love。〃
  A　pretty　hand　closed　the　count's　mouth　so　promptly　that　the　action　was
  somewhat　like　a　blow。
  〃Yes；〃　he　said；　〃friendship；　my　dear　angel；　knows　nothing　of　bankrupt
  sentiments　and　collapsed　joys。　Love；　after　giving　more　than　it　has；
  ends　by　giving　less　than　it　receives。〃
  〃One　side　as　well　as　the　other；〃　remarked　Clementine　laughing。
  〃Yes；〃　continued　Adam；　〃whereas　friendship　only　increases。　You　need
  not　pucker　up　your　lips　at　that；　for　we　are；　you　and　I；　as　much
  friends　as　lovers；　we　have；　at　least　I　hope　so；　combined　the　two
  sentiments　in　our　happy　marriage。〃
  〃I'll　explain　to　you　what　it　is　that　has　made　you　and　Thaddeus　such
  good　friends；〃　said　Clementine。　〃The　difference　in　the　lives　you　lead
  comes　from　your　tastes　and　from　necessity；　from　your　likings；　not　your
  positions。　As　far　as　one　can　judge　from　merely　seeing　a　man　once；　and
  also　from　what　you　tell　me；　there　are　times　when　the　subaltern　might
  become　the　superior。〃
  〃Oh；　Paz　is　truly　my　superior；〃　said　Adam；　naively；　〃I　have　no
  advantage　over　him　except　mere　luck。〃
  His　wife　kissed　him　for　the　generosity　of　those　words。
  〃The　extreme　care　with　which　he　hides　the　grandeur　of　his　feelings　is
  one　form　of　his　superiority；〃　continued　the　count。　〃I　said　to　him
  once：　'You　are　a　sly　one；　you　have　in　your　heart　a　vast　domain　within
  which　you　live　and　think。'　He　has　a　right　to　the　title　of　count；　but
  in　Paris　he　won't　be　called　anything　but　captain。〃
  〃The　fact　is　that　the　Florentine　of　the　middle…ages　has　reappeared　in
  our　century；〃　said　the　countess。　〃Dante　and　Michael　Angelo　are　in
  him。〃
  〃That's　the　very　truth；〃　cried　Adam。　〃He　is　a　poet　in　soul。〃
  〃So　here　I　am；　married　to　two　Poles；〃　said　the　young　countess；　with　a
  gesture　worthy　of　some　genius　of　the　stage。
  〃Dear　child！〃　said　Adam；　pressing　her　to　him；　〃it　would　have　made　me
  very　unhappy　if　my　friend　did　not　please　you。　We　were　both　rather
  afraid　of　it；　he　and　I；　though　he　was　delighted　at　my　marriage。　You
  will　make　him　very　happy　if　you　tell　him　that　you　love　him；yes；　as
  an　old　friend。〃
  〃I'll　go　and　dress；　the　day　is　so　fine；　and　we　will　all　three　ride
  together；〃　said　Clementine；　ringing　for　her　maid。
  II
  Paz　was　leading　so　subterranean　a　life　that　the　fashionable　world　of
  Paris　asked　who　he　was　when　the　Comtesse　Laginska　was　seen　in　the　Bois
  de　Boulogne　riding　between　her　husband　and　a　stranger。　During　the　ride
  Clementine　insisted　that　Thaddeus　should　dine　with　them。　This　caprice
  of　the　sovereign　lady　compelled　Paz　to　make　an　evening　toilet。
  Clementine　dressed　for　the　occasion　with　a　certain　coquetry；　in　a
  style　that　impressed　even　Adam　himself　when　she　entered　the　salon
  where　the　two　friends　awaited　her。
  〃Comte　Paz；〃　she　said；　〃you　must　go　with　us　to　the　Opera。〃
  This　was　said　in　the　tone　which；　coming　from　a　woman　means：　〃If　you
  refuse　we　shall　quarrel。〃
  〃Willingly；　madame；〃　replied　the　captain。　〃But　as　I　have　not　the
  fortune　of　a　count；　have　the　kindness　to　call　me　captain。〃
  〃Very　good；　captain；　give　me　your　arm；〃　she　said；taking　it　and
  leading　the　way　to　the　dining…room　with　the　flattering　familiarity
  which　enchants　all　lovers。
  The　countess　placed　the　captain　beside　her；　his　behavior　was　that　of　a
  poor　sub…lieutenant　dining　at　his　general's　table。　He　let　Clementine
  talk；　listened　deferentially　as　to　a　superior；　did　not　differ　with　her
  in　anything；　and　waited　to　be　questioned　before　he　spoke　at　all。　He
  seemed　actually　stupid　to　the　countess；　whose　coquettish　little　ways
  missed　their　mark　in　presence　of　such　frigid　gravity　and　conventional
  respect。　In　vain　Adam　kept　saying：　〃Do　be　lively；　Thaddeus；　one　would
  really　suppose　you　were　not　at　home。　You　must　have　made　a　wager　to
  disconcert　Clementine。〃　Thaddeus　continued　heavy　and　half　asleep。　When
  the　servants　left　the　room　at　the　end　of　the　dessert　the　captain
  explained　that　his　habits　were　diametrically　opposite　to　those　of
  society；he　went　to　bed　at　eight　o'clock　and　got　up　very　early　in　the
  morning；　and　he　excused　his　dulness　on　the　ground　of　being　sleepy。
  〃My　intention　in　taking　you　to　the　Opera　was　to　amuse　you；　captain；
  but　do　as　you　prefer；〃　said　Clementine；　rather　piqued。
  〃I　will　go；〃　said　Paz。
  〃Duprez　sings　'Guillaume　Tell；'〃　remarked　Adam。　〃But　perhaps　you　would
  rather　go　to　the　'Varietes'？〃
  The　captain　smiled　and　rang　the　bell。　〃Tell　Constantin；〃　he　said　to
  the　footman；　〃to　put　the　horses　to　the　carriage　instead　of　the　coupe。
  We　should　be　rather　squeezed　otherwise；〃　he　said　to　the　count。
  〃A　Frenchman　would　have　forgotten　that；〃　remarked　Clementine；　smiling。
  〃Ah！　but　we　are　Florentines　transplanted　to　the　North；〃　answered
  Thaddeus　with　a　refinement　of　accent　and　a　look　in　his　eyes　which　made
  his　conduct　at　table　seem　assumed　for　the　occasion。　There　was　too
  evident　a　contrast　between　his　involuntary　self…revelation　in　this
  speech　and　his　behavior　during　dinner。　Clementine　examined　the　captain
  with　a　few　of　those　covert　glances　which　show　a　woman's　surprise　and
  also　her　capacity　for　observation。
  It　resulted　from　this　little　incident　that　silence　reigned　in　the
  salon　while　the　three　took　their　coffee；　a　silence　rather　annoying　to
  Adam；　who　was　incapable　of　imagining　the　cause　of　it。　Clementine　no
  longer　tried　to　draw　out　Thaddeus。　The　captain；　on　the　other　hand；
  retreated　within　his　military　stiffness　and　came　out　of　it　no　more；
  neither　on　the　way　to　the　Opera　nor　in　the　box；　where　he　seemed　to　be
  asleep。
  〃You　see；　madame；　that　I　am　a　very　stupid　man；〃　he　said　during　the
  dance　in　the　last　act　of　〃Guillaume　Tell。〃　〃Am　I　not　right　to　keep；　as
  the　saying　is；　to　my　own　specialty？〃
  〃In　truth；　my　dear　captain；　you　are　neither　a　talker　nor　a　man　of　the
  world；　but　you　are　perhaps　Polish。〃
  〃Therefore　leave　me　to　look　after　your　pleasures；　your　property；　your
  householdit　is　all　I　am　good　for。〃
  〃Tartufe！　pooh！〃　cried　Adam；　laughing。　〃My　dear；　he　is　full　of　ardor；
  he　is　thoroughly　educated；　he　can；　if　he　chooses；　hold　his　own　in　any
  salon。　Clementine；　don't　believe　his　modesty。〃
  〃Adieu；　comtesse；　I　have　obeyed　your　wishes　so　far；　and　now　I　will
  take　the　carriage　and　go　home　to　bed　and　send　it　back　for　you。〃
  Clementine　bowed　her　head　and　let　him　go　without　replying。
  〃What　a　bear！〃　she　said　to　the　count。　〃You　are　a　great　deal　nicer。〃
  Adam　pressed　her　hand　when　no　one　was　looking。
  〃Poor；　dear　Thaddeus；〃　he　said；　〃he　is　trying　to　make　himself
  disagreeable　where　most　men　would　try　to　seem　more　amiable　than　I。〃
  〃Oh！〃　she　said；　〃I　am　not　sure　but　what　there　is　some　CALCULATION　in
  his　behavior；　he　would　have　taken　in　an　ordinary　woman。〃
  Half　an　hour　later；　when　the　chasseur；　Boleslas；　called　out　〃Gate！〃
  and　the　carriage　was　waiting　for　it　to　swing　back；　Clementine　said　to
  her　husband；　〃Where　does　the　captain　perch？〃
  〃Why；　there！〃　replied　Adam；　pointing　to　a　floor　above　the　porte…
  cochere　which　had　one　window　looking　on　the　street。　〃His　apartments
  are　over　the　coachhouse。〃
  〃Who　lives　on　the　other　side？〃　asked　the　countess。
  〃No　one　as　yet；〃　said　Adam；　〃I　mean　that　apartment　for　our　children
  and　their　instructors。〃
  〃He　didn't　go　to　bed；〃　said　the　countess；　observing　lights　in
  Thaddeus's　rooms　when　the　carriage　had　passed　under　the　portico
  supported　by　columns　copied　from　those　of　the　Tuileries；　which
  replaced　a　vulgar　zinc　awning　painted　in　stripes　like　cloth。
  The　captain；　in　his　dressing…gown　with　a　pipe　in　his　mouth；　was
  watching　Clementine　as　she　entered　the　vestibule。　The　day　had　been　a
  hard　one　for　him。　And　here　is　the　reason　why：　A　great　and　terrible
  emotion　had　taken　possession　of　his　heart　on　the　day　when　Adam　made
  him　go　to　the　Opera　to　see　and　give　his　opinion　on　Mademoiselle　du
  Rouvre；　and　again　when　he　saw　her　on　the　occasion　of　her　marriage；　and
  recognized　in　her　the　woman　whom　a　man　is　forced　to　love　exclusively。
  For　this　reason　Paz　strongly　advised　and　promoted　the　long　journey　to
  Italy　and　elsewhere　after　the　marriage。　At　peace　so　long　as　Clementine
  was　away；　his　trial　was　renewed　on　the　return　of　the　happy　household。
  As　he　sat　at　his　window　on　this　memorable　night；　smoking　his　latakia
  in　a　pipe　of　wild…cherry　wood　six　feet　long；　given　to　him　by　Adam；
  these　are　the　thoughts　that　were　passing　through　his　mind：
  〃I；　and　God；　who　will　reward