Page 81 (1/2)

There were as yet only two couples dining in the restaurant, and

Hanaud spoke so that neither could overhear him He sat down at

the table

"What news?" he asked

"None," said Leone in"

"And if anything happens while we dine?"

"We shall know," said Le

under the trees there He will strike a ht his pipe"

The hurried conversation was ended

"Good," said Hanaud "We will dine, then, and be gay"

He called to the waiter and ordered dinner It was after seven

when they sat down to dinner, and they dined while the dusk

deepened In the street below the lights flashed out, throwing a

sheen on the foliage of the trees at the water's side Upon the

dark lake the reflections of la to reen and red lights of the launches glided backwards

and forwards Hanaud alone of the party on the balcony tried to

keep the conversation upon a light and general level But it was

plain that even he was overdoing his gaiety There were moments

when a sudden contraction of the ive a spas

uneasily, uncomfortably, until darkness should co with his own barely

tasted food

And then, at a sentence from Lemerre, his knife and fork clattered