The lawyer took a cup, sugared it, and drank it, after having crumbled into it a little cake which was too hard to crunch.

Then he rose, shook hands, and departed.
"Then it is understood," repeated Roland.

"To-morrow, at your place, at two ?" "Quite so.

To-morrow, at two." Jean had not spoken a word.
When their guest had gone, silence fell again till father Roland clapped his two hands on his younger son's shoulders, crying: "Well, you devilish lucky dog! You don't embrace me!" Then Jean smiled.

He embraced his father, saying: "It had not struck me as indispensable." The old man was beside himself with glee.