But he had such an open, cheery face, such an honest look, so frank an attitude, that he was evidently a really good fellow.
"Sir," said he to me, "are two Frenchmen going all the way from Baku to Pekin without making each other's acquaintance ?" "Sir," I replied, "when I meet a compatriot--" "Who is a Parisian--" "And consequently a Frenchman twice over," I added, "I am only too glad to shake hands with him! And so, Monsieur Caterna--" "You know my name ?" "As you know mine, I am sure." "Of course, Monsieur Claudius Bombarnac, correspondent of the _Twentieth Century_." "At your service, believe me." "A thousand thanks, Monsieur Bombarnac, and even ten thousand, as they say in China, whither Madame Caterna and I are bound." "To appear at Shanghai in the French troupe at the residency as--" "You know all that, then ?" "A reporter!" "Quite so." "I may add, from sundry nautical phrases I have noticed, that you have been to sea." "I believe you, sir.

Formerly coxswain of Admiral de Boissondy's launch on board the _Redoubtable_." "Then I beg to ask why you, a sailor, did not go by way of the sea ?" "Ah, there it is, Monsieur Bombarnac.

Know that Madame Caterna, who is incontestably the first leading lady of the provinces, and there is not one to beat her as a waiting maid or in a man's part, cannot stand the sea.

And when I heard of the Grand Transasiatic, I said to her, 'Be easy, Caroline! Do not worry yourself about the perfidious element.

We will cross Russia, Turkestan, and China, without leaving _terra firma_!' And that pleased her, the little darling, so brave and so devoted, so--I am at a loss for a word--well, a lady who will play the duenna in case of need, rather than leave the manager in a mess! An artiste, a true artiste!" It was a pleasure to listen to Caterna; he was in steam, as the engineer says, and the only thing to do was to let him blow off.
Surprising as it may seem, he adored his wife, and I believe she was equally fond of him.