Mademoiselle Adele Blondet was a
charmingly ugly actress, who was at that time the rage of Paris. She
attracted all the men, not by her looks, but by her tongue. Octave
Braulard,' went on M. Vandeloup, complacently looking at himself,
'was handsome, and she fell in love with him. She became his
mistress, and caused a nine days' wonder in Paris by remaining
constant to him for six months. Then there came to Paris an English
gentleman from Australia--name, Kestrike; position, independent;
income, enormous. He had left Madame his wife in London, and came to
our wicked Paris to amuse himself. He saw Adele Blondet, and was
introduced to her by Braulard; result, Kestrike betrayed his friend
Braulard by stealing from him his mistress. Why was this? Was
Kestrike handsome? No. Was he fascinating? No. Was he rich? Yes.
Therein lay the secret; Adele loved the purse, not the man.
Braulard,' said Gaston, rising from the sofa quickly and walking
across the room, 'felt his honour wounded. He remonstrated with
Adele, no use; he offered to fight a duel with the perfidious
Kestrike, no use; the thief was a coward.'
'No,' cried Meddlechip, rising, 'no coward.'
'I say, yes!' said Vandeloup, crossing to him, and forcing him back
in his chair; 'he betrayed his friend and refused to give him the
satisfaction of a gentleman. What did Braulard do? Rest quiet? No.
Revenge his honour? Yes! One night,' pursued Gaston, in a low
concentrated voice, grasping Meddlechip's wrist firmly, and looking
at him with fiery eyes, 'Braulard prepared a poison, a narcotic
which was quick in its action, fatal in its results.
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