"
"Francine's wedding, my dear Joliet!" I exclaimed. And, going back to
my apprehensions at her furtive disappearance from Carlsruhe, and
to my conjectures of some amorous mystery between her and her Yankee
traducer, Kraaniff, I added gravely, "It is very creditable!"
"How, creditable--and droll?" repeated the honest man, evidently much
surprised at my own accumulating surprises. "Did not you hear?"
[Illustration: FATHER JOLIET.]
"Not the faintest word," I said, "but I am none the less gratified to
find this affair ending, as it should, in the presence of a lawyer. As
for your wedding-invitation, my good friend, you are a little tardy in
delivering it, for it is exactly to-day that I am obliged to attend at
the marriage of one of my friends, M. Fortnoye."
"Ah, that is a good joke!" cried Joliet, breaking into an explosion of
laughter and clapping me pleasantly on the shoulder--an action which
caused a slight frown on the part of Charles. "You always would have
your jest, Monsieur the American! Tease me and scare me as much as
you like: I like these hoaxes better before a wedding than after.
Hold that," he added, extending his hand as if it were a piece of
merchandise.
I "held" it, and he went on, dwelling slowly on his words: "If you are
at Henri Fortnoye's wedding you will be at Francine Joliet's also, for
both of these persons are to be married at one church."
"Impossible!" I exclaimed, dropping the hand and stepping back.
Pages:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25