The Colonel bent gracefully.
"Decidedly the Colonel is not in high favor tonight," thought
Maurice; "a fact which is eminently satisfactory to me. Ah; he
looks as if he had something to say to me. Let us wait."
"Monsieur, have you any other engagement this evening?" asked
Beauvais, swinging his pelisse over both shoulders. "If not, my
rooms are quite handy. I have capital cigars and cognacs. Will
you do me the honor? I should like to have you regale me with
some Vienna gossip; it is so long since I was there."
"Thanks," said Maurice. "I shall be happy to smoke your cigars
and drink your cognacs." He was in the mood for any adventure,
comic or serious. He had an idea what the Colonel wanted to say
to him, and he was not unwilling to listen. Besides, he had no
fear; he now wore an amulet close to his heart.
"Come, then," said Beauvais, gaily; and the two made off. "It is
a wonderful game of chess, this world of ours."
"Yes," said Maurice, "we do keep moving."
"And every now and then one or the other of us steps out into
the dark."
"So we do." Maurice glanced from the corner of his eye and
calculated his chances in a physical contest with the Colonel.
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