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Updated: June 23, 2025
But while he was tidying up the litter in the room, after Valgrand had left him, the dresser shook his head. "What a pity it is! And he such a great artiste! These women will make an absolute fool of him! Why, he hasn't even taken his gloves or his scarf!" There was a tap at the door, and the door-keeper looked in. "Can I turn out the lights?" he enquired. "Has M. Valgrand gone?"
"Pardon me, ladies, for keeping you waiting," the actor said. "I was deep in conversation with the Minister. He was so charming, so kind!" He turned to the Baronne de Vibray. "He did me the honour to offer me a cigarette! A relic! Charlot! Charlot! You must put this cigarette in the little box where all my treasures are!" "It is very full already, M. Valgrand," said Charlot deprecatingly.
"Oh, God save me!" but still the warders dragged him towards the door. By an herculean effort he swayed them back with him into the middle of the room. "I am not Gurn, I tell you," he shouted. "I am Valgrand, Valgrand the actor. Everybody in the world knows me. You know it too, but Search me, I tell you," and he made a sign with his head towards his left side.
The man made up his mind, hurriedly put on his coat and hat, and switched off the electric lights in the exquisitely appointed dressing-room. "I'll go!" he said aloud. "If I see anything suspicious, or if at the end of half an hour I don't see M. Valgrand leaving the house well!" Charlot turned the key in the lock. "Yes, I will go. I shall be much easier in my mind!"
"I must have one too," said Simone Holbord, and Valgrand with great dignity replied: "I will put your name down for one, madame!" But the Comte de Baral had looked furtively at his watch, and uttered an exclamation of surprise. "My good people, it is most horribly late! And our great artiste must be overcome with sleep!"
The conversation was certainly lacking in animation, he reflected whimsically; would the lady succeed in reducing him to the level of intelligence of a callow schoolboy? And she most certainly did seem to be horribly upset. He raised his eyes to her and found that she was gazing into infinity. "One has got to draw upon psychology here," Valgrand mused.
He flung his cloak and hat theatrically on the arm-chair, and moved towards Lady Beltham, who still sat motionless with her face hidden in her hands. "I have come!" he said in deep tones. Lady Beltham uttered a little exclamation as if of surprise, and seemed even more anxious to hide from him. "Odd!" thought Valgrand. "She seems to be really upset; what can I say to her, I wonder?"
Charlot offered him a bundle of letters, which Valgrand took with careless hand. He looked at the envelopes one after another, hugely amused. "Violet ink, and monograms, and coronets, and perfume. Say, Charlot, is this a proposal? What do you bet?" "You never have anything else," the dresser grumbled " except bills." "Do you bet?"
"Look in my pocket-book; my name's inside; and you'll find a letter too; proof of the trap I've been led into: the letter from that woman over there!" "Better look and see, Nibet," one warder said to the other, and to Valgrand he added: "Not so much noise, man! Do you mean to get us all caught?" Nibet passed a quick hand through Valgrand's pockets; there was no note-book there.
"If you insist, I bet it is a bill; then you will win," said Charlot. "Done!" cried Valgrand. "Listen," and he began to declaim the letter aloud: "'Oh, wondrous genius, a flower but now unclosing' Got it, Charlot? Another of them!" He tore open another envelope. "Ah-ha! Photograph enclosed, and will I send it back if the original is not to my fancy!" He flung himself back in his chair to laugh.
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