Anonymous

Count Alexis

CHAPTER ONE

If Madame Benoit shrugged her shoulders with a knowing look when the purity and austerity of my manner of living was discussed, she had good cause for it.

Madame Benoit was an old friend, a friend of my childhood. About twenty-four years ago she married a tax collector in the little town of N-, where I made the acquaintance of the gentleman whom I called Monsieur Benoit at first, and who simply became Benoit to me afterwards.

My dear friend had the weakness to confide everything to his wife, even to his old love scrapes, which were familiar to her, and that is why Madame Benoit shrugged her shoulders when my wonderful qualities were enumerated.

Benoit had died some years previously and being somewhat lonely in my bachelor quarters, I took an apartment near my late friend's widow.

There was a good deal of whispering to be sure, but Madame Benoit was forty-two years old and I was forty-eight. The fire of youth was probably soon to be extinguished for my neighbour but as for myself, the older I got, the younger I felt.

My time was spent in dressing, eating, and visiting. I rose late. However, if I was in bed even five minutes before eleven A.M. I was up at eleven sharp. It was my rule at five minutes past eleven every day to be in my bath, as I usually took a cold bath in winter as well as in summer.

Fifteen minutes after eleven, I jumped out of the water to be rubbed down by my faithful Jean. This operation lasted ten minutes. Then, warmly enveloped, I gave myself up to the delightful operation of touching up my beard with a dye brush and as I was almost bald, the work was not arduous.

My lady friends only saw me at night when I lit up to great advantage, adding to this that when I was not under the scrutinizing eye of Madame Benoit I was very lively, even adventurous, as you will see when you read on.

At noon my toilet was completed and as the clock struck twelve I might have been seen every day rapping at the widow's door.

I generally found one or two callers, not too old, however, to have deserted the ranks of the armchair maids and widows, still on the qui vivre for a husband.