"I answered:
""Yes, monsieur, you are not mistaken."
"Then he quickly rose and came toward me with hands outstretched:
""Well, old man, how are you?"
"As I did not recognize him at all I was greatly embarra.s.sed. I stammered:
""Why-very well-and-you?"
"He began to laugh ""I bet you don"t recognize me."
""No, not exactly. It seems-however-"
"He slapped me on the back:
""Come on, no joking! I am Patience, Robert Patience, your friend, your chum."
"I recognized him. Yes, Robert Patience, my old college chum. It was he. I took his outstretched hand:
""And how are you?"
""Fine!"
"His smile was like a paean of victory.
"He asked:
""What are you doing here?"
"I explained that I was government inspector of taxes.
"He continued, pointing to my red ribbon:
""Then you have-been a success?"
"I answered:
""Fairly so. And you?"
""I am doing well!"
""What are you doing?"
""I"m in business."
""Making money?"
""Heaps. I"m very rich. But come around to lunch, to-morrow noon, 17 Rue du Coq-qui-Chante; you will see my place."
"He seemed to hesitate a second, then continued:
""Are you still the good sport that you used to be?"
""I-I hope so."
""Not married?"
""No."
""Good. And do you still love a good time and potatoes?"
"I was beginning to find him hopelessly vulgar. Nevertheless, I answered ""Yes."
""And pretty girls?"
""Most a.s.suredly."
"He began to laugh good-humoredly.
""Good, good! Do you remember our first escapade, in Bordeaux, after that dinner at Routie"s? What a spree!"
"I did, indeed, remember that spree; and the recollection of it cheered me up. This called to mind other pranks. He would say:
""Say, do you remember the time when we locked the proctor up in old man Latoque"s cellar?"
"And he laughed and banged the table with his fist, and then he continued:
""Yes-yes-yes-and do you remember the face of the geography teacher, M. Marin, the day we set off a firecracker in the globe, just as he was haranguing about the princ.i.p.al volcanoes of the earth?"
"Then suddenly I asked him:
""And you, are you married?"
"He exclaimed:
""Ten years, my boy, and I have four children, remarkable youngsters; but you"ll see them and their mother."
"We were talking rather loud; the people around us looked at us in surprise.
"Suddenly my friend looked at his watch, a chronometer the size of a pumpkin, and he cried:
""Thunder! I"m sorry, but I"ll have to leave you; I am never free at night."
"He rose, took both my hands, shook them as though he were trying to wrench my arms from their sockets, and exclaimed:
""So long, then; till to-morrow noon!"