"'Great fools that we are!' she murmured amidst her sobs, 'what have
we done!' "'Clémentine, tell me!' "'What have we done, what have we done!' she repeated, and I felt
against me, her floods of black hair, her warm cheek which was
fragrant with eau de Nanon.
"'What is it? What can it be?' "'It is....' and she murmured something in my ear.
"'No!' I said, stupefied. 'Are you quite sure?' "'Am I quite sure!' "I was thunderstruck.
"'You don't seem much pleased,' she said sharply.
"'I did not say that.... Though, really, I am very much pleased, I
assure you.' "'Prove it to me: let us spend the day together tomorrow.' "'To-morrow!' I stammered. 'Impossible!' "'Why?' she demanded suspiciously.
"'Because to-morrow, I have to pilot the Tuareg mission about Paris.
The Emperor's orders.' "'What bluff is this?' asked Clémentine.
"'I admit that nothing so much resembles a lie as the truth.' "I retold Mocquard's story to Clémentine, as well as I could. She
listened to me with an expression that said: 'you can't fool me that
way.' "Finally, furious, I burst out: "'You can see for yourself. I am dining with them, tomorrow; and I
invite you.' "'I shall be very pleased to come,' said Clémentine with great
dignity.
"I admit that I lacked self-control at that minute. But think what a
day it had been! Forty thousand francs of bills as soon as I woke up.
The ordeal of escorting the savages around Paris all the next day.
And, quite unexpectedly, the announcement of an approaching irregular
paternity....
"'After all,' I thought, as I returned to my house, 'these are the
Emperor's orders. He has commanded me to give the Tuareg an idea of
Parisian civilization. Clémentine comports herself very well in
society and just now it would not do to aggravate her. I will engage a
room for to-morrow at the Café de Paris, and tell Gramont-Caderousse
and Viel-Castel to bring their silly mistresses. It will be very
French to enjoy the attitude of these children of the desert in the
midst of this little party.' "The train from Marseilles arrived at 10:20. On the platform I found
M. Duveyrier, a young man of twenty-three with blue eyes and a little
blond beard. The Tuareg fell into his arms as they descended from the
train. He had lived with them for two years, in their tents, the devil
knows where. He presented me to their chief, Sheik Otham, and to four
others, splendid fellows in their blue cotton draperies and their
amulets of red leather. Fortunately, they all spoke a kind of
sabir[13] which helped things along.