white satin skin of her throat was rough, "turned to goose flesh," to
use the familiar expression. As for me, I laughed in myself without
moving a muscle.

"'"This gentleman is one of my tradesmen," she said.

"'The Count turned his back on me; I drew the bill half out of my
pocket. After that inexorable movement, she came over to me and put a
diamond into my hands. "Take it," she said, "and be gone."

"'We exchanged values, and I made my bow and went. The diamond was
quite worth twelve hundred francs to me. Out in the courtyard I saw a
swarm of flunkeys, brushing out their liveries, waxing their boots,
and cleaning sumptuous equipages.

"'"This is what brings these people to me!" said I to myself. "It is
to keep up this kind of thing that they steal millions with all due
formalities, and betray their country. The great lord, and the little
man who apes the great lord, bathes in mud once for all to save
himself a splash or two when he goes afoot through the streets."

"'Just then the great gates were opened to admit a cabriolet. It was
the same young fellow who had brought the bill to me.

"'"Sir," I said, as he alighted, "here are two hundred francs, which
I beg you to return to Mme. la Comtesse, and have the goodness to tell
her that I hold the pledge which she deposited with me this morning at
her disposition for a week."

"'He took the two hundred francs, and an ironical smile stole over