Lola and I have been racked day after day with questions--some, indeed, prompted by the suspicion that Vauvenarde might have met his death directly by our hand instead of that of Anastasius.

It was the Procureur-general who said: "It can be argued that you would benefit by the decease of the defunct." I replied that we could not benefit in any way.

My sole object was to effect a reconciliation between husband and wife.

"Will you explain why you gave yourself that trouble ?" I never have smiled so grimly as I did then.
How could I explain my precious pursuit of the eumoirous to a French Procureur-general?
How could I put before him the point of view of a semi-disembodied spirit?
I replied with lame lack of originality that my actions proceeded from disinterested friendship.

"You are a pure altruist then ?" said he.