But even I, with all my innocence, never for a moment believed he had stumbled accidentally.

During the uncorking and the filling up of glasses a profound silence reigned; but neither of us took it seriously--any more than his stumble.
"One day," he went on again in that curiously flavoured voice of his, "my mother took a heroic decision and made up her mind to get up in the middle of the night.

You must understand my mother's phraseology.

It meant that she would be up and dressed by nine o'clock.

This time it was not Versoy that was commanded for attendance, but I.