Evening star., 1925-06-11
One of a series of the
years best short
stories.

ars and writer's, assembled in her
salon all those who possessed either a
| hotel on the Boulevard Saint German
or an abode on the slopes of Par
nassus. Aristide was found and duly
presented, and the comtesse gracious
ly asked him to come to tea on the
very next Sunday. Then the author
had to meet other guests, but Mon
dell stayed with the comtesse and
sang the praises,of his friend.
1T will be privilege for me.
madam he said. ito send you those
of his books which 1 have published
But you ought to get also his most
important work, Loutre. Something
very deep and profound More a
treatise, l should say. than a novel,
Dealing with modern psychology
to-suggestion. the subliminal self,
double personality, and also with the
more occult spheres of the human
mind, primitive beliefs of mankind
initiative magic and other aspects of
our subconscious life. All this group
ed round the central figure of Loutre.
an apache and actor at the same
time. l must confess, to my shame,
that | haven't read the book as yet
| always promise myself to do so.
just as l promise myself to read one
day the whole Froissart and the real
Don Quixote,' or Dante in the
original'-
The countess interrupted him
laughingly:
How L can feel with you, dear NJ
Monden l am quite in the same
boat. Why, 1 could write book on
books I mean to read. Books we all
know, we all quote; books which form
our mental background and are,
somehow, our intellectual and spirit
ual property and which. in the end
come to think of it, we have really
never read. But, to return to your
handsome friend. You did not read
his book as yet, but"
But / am assured from all sides"
continued Mondell, that 1t is some
thing very fine. Quite a contribution
to that part of our literature which is
a combination of bellies lettres and
science. / am certain madam will be
greatly interested in it,
"Of course / shall be-, said the
comtesse eagerly. "In fact, 1 am al
ready now very much interested in
book and author. Don't forget to
buy Loutre' for me before Sunday"
she added, turning to her dame de
cempagnie. You'll get it at Bren-
tano's. without doubt"
And then all conversation stopped,
because "by request" Aristide had to
tell another little tale.
The comtesse received Aristide on
Sunday with warm cordiality which
made him feel at once very much at
home.
II have nobody else for tea but you
NJ. Tritou,' she said, because l am
an intellectual gourmet. Cheap wines
you mix with mineral water, you soft
en- the bitterness of vermouth and the
roughness Of gin with fleur d'orange
and sugar and other ingredients and
get a cocktail; but if rare vintage is
offered to you you want it pure. un-
mixed, by itself, to enjoy the exquisite
flavor. So no other guests but you
today. l had my nephew at dinner
but / sent him away. l want to talk
to you and of you and of your work
You did get Loutre' for me, didn't
you. Constance?"
The dame de compagnie, who was
pouring tea, felt terror stricken. She
had forgotten all about that miserable
book. But it would never do to con-
fess. The comtesse would be furious.
So, leaving quickly her tea cups. she
said:
why, certainly, madam. / bought
it yesterday and / put it on this little
table together with the new Revue des
DeuX MondeS."
Aristide looked at the indicated ta-
BILE with kind of wondering awe He
would hardly have been surprised if
the book had really. been there By
now everything seemed possible to
him. But the table was conspicuously
empty -
II can't understand it, said Mile.
Constance. Il saw the books myself
this morning. Three volumes-aren't
there three. M. .Tritou?-all beautiful.
ly bound, ! don't know who can have
taken it,
Perhaps my nephew got hold of it, =
smiled. the comtesse. HE may have
looked into it and, reading few lines,
found the temptation too strong, and
took II with him. Quitesa compliment
to you, NJ. Tritou. But we will not sor-
row over the book as long as we have
the author. In fact, i think, NJ. Tri.
tou, you should present q copy to me-
perhaps even one with a nice inscrip-
tom
Continued in Tomorrow's Star.)