At last she went away with her whole party, and I did not follow her. I had an idea that my hermit could tell me all that I wanted to know; for he had spoken to her in an undertone, and she had replied many times by the medium of the horn.
My man came to me and led me into his hermitage, where he dashed into the subject at once, without waiting for me to question him.
"She works on Rue Sainte-Apolline, from eight in the morning till eight in the evening."
I rewarded the invaluable soothsayer and returned to the garden, which was beginning to be deserted. I walked in the direction of the exit, enchanted to know at last where I could find Mademoiselle Caroline.
As I passed before a silhouette booth, I imagined that I heard a voice which was not unfamiliar to me. I stopped. People were disputing in the small oiled-paper studio, and I recognized my neighbor Raymond's voice. What in the devil was he doing there? I listened; the maker of silhouettes said:
"It's half-past eleven, monsieur; everybody's gone, and I must shut up shop, too."
"One more silhouette, my friend, and I'll go."
"You've been here in my studio more than two hours, monsieur; I have cut you out seventeen times already."
"Well, this will make eighteen. Oh! I can't have too many portraits; I shall find places enough for them! everybody's asking me for one."
"I tell you that I must close my shop, monsieur."
"Close it, if you choose; I'll stay inside; I don't propose to go yet."
I could not restrain a roar of laughter, aroused by the desperate decision of Raymond, who, in his fear of being arrested for all the stupid things he had done during the evening, had sought shelter in the silhouette booth, which he was absolutely determined not to abandon. But my laughter caused great perturbation in my neighbor's soul.
"Hark!" he said to the painter with scissors; "didn't you hear? There's somebody close by. You told me the garden was empty."
"Pay me, monsieur, and be off; or I'll go and fetch the guard to put you out."
The threat of the guard made Raymond shudder; he realized that he must leave the friendly shelter of the booth; but before venturing into the garden, he thrust his head out of the door, to see if anyone was on the watch for him. The first person he saw was your humble servant, whose inclination to laugh was vastly increased at sight of the pale and discomposed features of his neighbor. Raymond was uncertain whether he had better hide again or not, when he saw me; but he made the best of the meeting, and, being certain that I would not impose upon his unfortunate plight, he clung to me as to the anchor of salvation.