came, looking at me intensely all the while. I petted her little,
which she took resignedly and with a faint show of wonder, then in
answer to De Kock's summons put her back in the cage.
"I have the honour to wish madame a _bonsoir_," said he, but the
lady was still sulky and vouchsafed no answer.
We were soon out in the street.
"Do you know," said De Kock slowly, lighting a cigar and looking up
at the house, "Do you know, I thought something had happened."
"And don't you now."
"I am not sure," answered my friend.
CHAPTER II.
We were pardonably curious to see the papers next morning. The
affair was dismissed in three lines, and although as De Kock swore,
the case was one for Gaboriau, it certainly was not our business to
look into it and in fact in a week's time I was back in Canada, and
he up to his eyes in commercial pursuits. The main point remained
clear, however, that Martinetti did _not_ come back, nor was he found,
or traced or ever heard of again. Somebody took the business out of
hand, as they say, and De Kock would occasionally write a P. S. to
his letters like this--"Dined at poor Martinetti's, Chiante as usual.
Ever yours." Or it would be--"Drank to the production of your last
new comedy at Martinetti's." Once he stated that shortly after that
memorable night Madame disappeared also, taking the parrot along.
"I begin to think they are a pair of deep ones and up to some big
game" he wrote. For myself, I never entirely forgot the circumstance,
although it was but once vividly recalled to my mind and that was in
a theatre in Montreal. An American company from one of the New York
theatres was performing some farcical comedy or other in which
occurred the comic song, admirably sung and acted by Miss Kate
Castleton, "For goodness sake don't say I told you!" The
reminiscences forced upon me quite spoiled my enjoyment; I could see
that pale, nervous woman, hear her screams, and hear too the fearful
voice of the poor parrot. Where is it now, thought I? That same
winter I was much occupied in making studies of the different
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